The Go Within
by Esa MaRie
Summary: Shindo Hikaru was brought up by his grandpa in a remote countryside where he met Fujiwara Sai, a former go player under reclusion. After the death of his grandpa & Sai, he returned to Tokyo, carrying with him a knowledge of go far beyond his imagination..
1. Chap 01 Life After the Grief

**The Go Within**

_by: Esa MaRie_

* * *

**Summary:**

Shindo Hikaru was brought up by his grandfather in a remote countryside where he met Fujiwara no Sai, a former go player under reclusion. After his grandfather and Sai's death, he went back to Tokyo, carrying with him a knowledge of go that was far beyond his imagination.

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

**Prologue**

"I'm sorry Father," Shindo Masao said. "But I have to leave Hikaru with you. I can't take him with us due to my constant traveling. He's such an active child and often gets into trouble. Besides, it's better for him to stay in one area and be able to live like a normal child. If he goes with us, it's possible that he will have to transfer schools every now and then."

Shindo Heihachi sighed as he stared at the young boy of 5 years of age, his cherub face deep into slumber. He felt sorry for him being left alone by his own parents, but on the other hand, he felt happy. It would mean that he'll no longer be alone.

"It's okay, Masao. I'll take care of him. Just make sure that you'll communicate with us often. I don't want him to feel that he's being neglected by his own parents," Heihachi said.

"I know, Father. Arigatou gozaimasu."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Jii-chan!"

Heihachi turned and gasped when he saw his 6 year old grandson.

"Hikaru, what happened to your hair?"

Hikaru grinned as he pushed back his golden locks from his face. "Like it? I look cool, right?"

"Who did that to you?" Heihachi asked, aghast at his grandson's new look. But honestly, Hikaru looked cute. His round cheeks glowed with happiness now compared to the first few weeks of his stay with him.

"My new friend Sai," Hikaru responded, then he scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry for keeping it a secret but I've been visiting him for months now."

"Sai?" Heihachi repeated. "You mean the mysterious guy living in the huge house next door?"

Hikaru nodded.

"Strange," Heihachi murmured. "But he doesn't seem to like to interact with anyone in the neighborhood. How did you meet him?"

Hikaru guiltily looked down and shifted his leg uncomfortably. "Well, I… uhm… I sort of sneaked into his house 3 months ago. I thought no one lives there. But well, he caught me." Then his face brightened. "But he's really a nice guy, although he seemed lonely and plus the fact that he can't walk. The woman that comes often to clean his house and cooks for his meals is a witch. She's so mean but Sai said that it's okay as long as she's doing her job. You know Jii-chan, I really felt sorry for Sai because he only has an old hag for company so I visit him everyday after school. Are you angry, Jii-chan?"

Heihachi chuckled and patted the young boy's head. "Of course not, my boy."

"You know what Jii-chan?" Hikaru pulled the edge of his shirt to catch his attention.

"Hmm?"

"Sai's been teaching me a new game," Hikaru bubbled enthusiastically.

Heihachi couldn't help but smile at the boy's enthusiasm. "Really? What game is it?"

"Go!" Hikaru exclaimed happily. "It's really hard but Sai said I might have potential."

"Go?" Heihachi's eyes rounded in surprise. "He knows how to play go?"

Hikaru nodded.

"Interesting," Heihachi thought out loud, then he chuckled. "Maybe he could play against me. It's been a while since I had a good game of go. Can I come with you the next time you visit him?"

"Really? You also want to befriend Sai?" Hikaru's eyes sparkled at the thought of his Jii-chan and Sai being friends. "Yay!" he cheered.

**.:go-go-go:.**

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**Chapter 1 – Life after the Grief**

Sixteen-year old Shindo Hikaru stared at the huge house that had been his home for the last 4 years. His green eyes traveled to the large boxes that proved the fact that he was moving away from this place, his haven together with his Jii-chan and Sai.

"Jii-chan… Sai…"

He thrust his hand to take something from his pocket. He opened his hand and stared at a piece of black stone that had been a symbol of common interest between the three of them.

Eleven years ago, his parents left him with his grandfather since his father had to travel a lot due to his job. He was lonely at first and it felt like he was abandoned. His grandfather tried everything to make his stay comfortable and happy. But the loneliness still won't get away.

It was only after he met Fujiwara Sai that he realized that he wasn't alone. That he was lucky that his grandfather was still there to take care of him. Because Sai had no one. Two kindred souls found each other and began to heal the loneliness of their hearts. After a few visits, he learned that Sai loved to play go. He would sat across the old man and watch him play some games by himself. His interest on the game was piqued and often asked questions about the game. Finally, Sai gave in and offered to teach him how to play go. Day after day, he would come over to Sai's house and Sai would teach him the basics then play games with him. When his grandfather learned that Sai knew how to play go, he was enthusiastic especially when he learned that Sai's real name was Fujiwara Sai. He could still remember his grandfather's stunned reaction when he was introduced to Sai, like he finally got the meet the emperor or something. The first week, his Jii-chan looked like he was about worship the path Sai walked or rather the path the wheelchair passed through. Even though he was still small, he wasn't the type to ponder on how Sai got into his current situation. He contented himself to just be with Sai. He never bothered to ask him about his past life seeing that there was something painful in it that Sai wanted to keep to himself.

For the three of them, go had been the medium that had bonded them. Even though Hikaru's school was quite far and he had made friends in school, joined clubs, played well in sports, he still continued to play go with the old men during his free time.

When his father was permanently assigned in Tokyo and requested for his return, he had stubbornly refused. He reasoned that his grandfather needed him more than his parents do. Besides, his mother got pregnant again and they would have another baby to take care of. When he was 12 years old, his grandfather died. His father came to fetch him, but he still remained stubborn. He couldn't leave Sai alone. But now, four years after his grandfather died, Sai also passed away.

Tears began to fall from Hikaru's eyes as he reminisced the times he spent with his grandfather and Sai. They both had acted like his fathers, worrying and fussing over him, let it be a small or big thing. He clutched the go stone fiercely. Sai had been the better of the three of them, actually a whole lot better. For months after he had known him, he noticed that longing look in Sai's eyes whenever he glanced at the goban and then he knew what Sai had been wanting was to have a rival that could equally match to him. That was why he did everything he could so that he could grant Sai's wish. The day before Sai died, he was finally able to beat him in an even match. He still could remember Sai's bright smile despite the loss.

"_Hikaru-kun, that was a good game. I think I've waited my whole life for this game. Thank you."_

"Hikaru!"

He turned as smiled as he saw his friends rushing towards him. Each of them gave him a hug, some of his female friends cried saying that they would miss him a lot. A male friend smacked him on the head complaining that they would miss the loud-mouthed and ramen-loving brat around.

His father approached them and tapped him on the shoulder, a signal that they have to leave now. It will be a long travel to Tokyo. His friends nodded to him, and he followed his father to the car.

Shouts of farewell and goodluck were heard as the car started to move. Hikaru opened his backpack and took a foldable go board inside. "Dad, I want to visit the cemetery first."

Hikaru told his father to park just beside the road. He then got out of the car and walked towards his friend's grave. He placed the flowers and sat beside the tombstone. "Hey Sai… you okay there? Have you met anyone in heaven who can play go? Well, Ji-chan's already there so at least you both can keep each other company." Despite restraining himself, he wasn't able to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. "Gomen ne Sai. I told you I won't cry anymore. But I still miss you… both you and Jii-chan." He then chuckled as he sniffed. "But I'm still your best rival, right? Besides, I finally defeated you. I could have increased my number of wins if you d-didn't…" Hikaru felt choked in his tears. "…l-leave me so suddenly." Hikaru placed the small foldable goban in front of Sai's grave. "Remember this Sai? Our last game?" he asked softly as he placed the magnetic stones one after another on the board. "I really did improve, right? More than you expected me too. And you're happy right? I didn't fail you… I was able to give you the kind of game you've always wanted, ne Sai?"

Hikaru's shoulders began to tremble as he was no longer able to control his sobs. "Sai… Jii-chan… why did you have to leave?" He then felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his father kneeling in front of him.

"You have to let go, Hikaru. I don't know how close you were to him, but it's time for you to move on," Masao said softly seeing the anguish look on his son's face.

His father helped him stand up. After one last bow of respect, Hikaru turned to return back to the car when his father's voice stopped him.

"Hikaru, you left something."

Hikaru glanced back at his friend's grave and his gaze fell on the finished game. 'It's alright, Father. I'm leaving it as that," he said as he went inside the car. His father followed suit. While the car was moving toward the exit, Hikaru closed his eyes as he began to think on what will happen to him. Flashbacks of his conversations with Sai began to come back to him.

"_Makimashita," he whispered after another round of loss. Then his green eyes blazed against the amused Sai in front of him._

"_I'm going to beat you next time Sai!" he cried in frustration._

_Sai just laughed, already used to his tantrums every time he lost a game. As he was returning the stones back to the bowl, he heard his name being called._

"_Hikaru…"_

_He looked up and gave a curious stare at his friend. "Yeah?"_

"_You've really grown better at go," Sai said gently._

_He just scoffed. "You're just saying that to comfort me. It has been several years, but I haven't beaten you in one game."_

"_At least, you've already taken me to yose," Sai joked which only earned a glare from him. Just then Sai's expression turned serious. "Hikaru… what do you think of go?"_

"_Huh?" he looked up then scratched his head. "Well… it's an old man's game." He grinned sheepishly. "Only you and Ji-chan could relate to it. I'd play soccer or basketball if I'm with my friends."_

_He resumed to clearing the board, totally oblivious to the sad look that had crossed Sai's face. He only heard him say, "W-well… t-that's n-nice. I just wish for you to follow your heart's desire."_

Sai had been supportive of him, including his other co-curricular activities. And even on his death bed, Sai was still thinking of his welfare.

"_Sai!" he screamed as he reached the hospital room. _

_The doctor tried to stop him but Sai weakly raised his hand to allow the boy to come over towards the bed. He clutched the old man's hands in his palm as tears began to fall from his face._

_He felt a hand on his head and as he looked up, he saw Sai shaking his head at him which he understood that he should stop crying. Sai's wrinkled eyes lifted as if smiling at him then he opened his mouth as if to say something._

_He tried to stop him and told him to save his energy but Sai shook his head. Sai managed a bare whisper to him._

"_T-thank y-you H-hikaru… n-now it's y-your time to m-move o-on …"_

_With that, Sai gave one final smile before closing his eyes and succumbing to darkness._

_The doctor shook his head and he was left to weep in his sorrow. When he finally pulled his hand away from Sai's tight hold, he noticed something that was left in his hand._

_It was a black piece of go stone._

Hikaru lifted the black stone up and stared at it, a soft smile lingering on his lips. _'Don't worry about me Sai. I'm going to move on…'_

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

The class was a bit noisy when the teacher arrived, so he had to call everyone's attention to let them settle down and for homeroom to begin.

"Class, we have a new student," the teacher announced which drew everyone's attention to a tall and athletic looking boy with bleach bangs who had just entered.

"Shindo-kun, please introduce yourself."

The boy gave a cheerful smile. "My name is Shindo Hikaru, nice to meet you all. I just transferred from Kyoten. I love basketball, soccer, and video games."

The teacher nodded. "Ah Shindo-kun, please take the vacant seat at the back."

Hikaru walked towards the back and noticed that there were two vacant seats. Thinking that no one occupied the seats, he chose the one near the window.

"Shindo-san?"

Hikaru turned and saw a girl with copper hair smiling at him.

"Ano.. Shindo-san… your seat is here on my left. Someone already occupies that seat, he's just absent since he has a game today."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized as he settled himself on his seat. "Thanks," he said to the girl.

The girl smiled back as she extended her hand. "I'm Fujisaki Akari. Welcome to Kaiou High School."

**.:to be continued:.**

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_**Err… I posted another fic… hehehe… so please don't hate me. I know I haven't finished "Lost Memories" but I've had this chapter for months, so I decided to post it after editing it a little.**_

_**Thanks to Curtis Zidane Ziraa for your PM. I actually decided to post it after I got your message.**_

_**Well, how was it? Is it good or bad? Or should I just stop this and just focus on Lost Memories? Anyway, please read and review… thanks:-) **_


	2. Chap 02 Fujiwara no Sai

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 2 – Fujiwara no Sai**

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**.:go-go-go:.**

It was mid-afternoon and he was thankful that he finally made it home. The travel had been long and tiring and he was aching for a good rest. It was not that the hotel accommodation was bad, but it wasn't as comfortable as his own bed.

Reaching for the door, he slid it open and stepped inside, aware of how quiet the interior seemed to be.

"Tadaima!" he called out, but no response came. Probably, his mother went to buy grocery. But then, his father should be in the tatami room. It was Saturday, so probably some members of the study group had already arrived and must be currently too concentrated on a game that they failed to notice his arrival.

He took off his shoes and placed them neatly by the wall and wore his slippers. Dropping his travel bag by the floor, he slumped himself on the sofa to take a short rest. He couldn't help but think how hectic his life had become. He had to juggle both high school and work as a professional go player. It had been okay the first year, but as he rose up to the ranks, his schedule of matches increased, thus forcing his frequent absence from school.

But he never regretted his choice. He loved go ever since he was small and he had worked so hard to reach where he was now. True, he was already popular even before he had stepped into the professional world because of his name – _Touya Akira_. Being the son of the current Meijin, lots were expected from him. He was the subject of both admiration and hatred from different professional go players. But he had never succumbed to the pressure. His mind had always been fixed to his goal, and that was to surpass his father in go – to reach the hand of god. He had quickly risen from the ranks, and after four years since he had stepped into the professional world, he's already a four-dan.

Akira was about to proceed to his room to take rest when he heard a light noise inside the tatami room his father frequently used for playing go. He could hear their quiet discussion and he couldn't help but long to be there too. Forgetting his long-awaited sleep, he walked towards the room and opened it. Five pairs of eyes glanced his way.

"Ah, Akira-kun. You're back from Kansai?" a man in his late forties greeted him.

"Otou-san. Tadaima," Akira greeted to which his father responded with a nod. He turned to the other occupants of the room to greet them but was surprised to see someone not part of the study group.

"Amano-san," Akira said as he settled beside his father. "You're here too?"

The Weekly Go journalist smiled in response. "I was actually dragged here," he said in a joking manner.

"I invited him," Ogata Seiji corrected. The pro always wearing a white suit had been his father's student for as long as he can remember. He's currently one of the top pro players and even managed to win the Judan title from his father. "I wanted to show a game to Touya-sensei that I'm sure he would be interested in. It will be published in the next issue of the Weekly Go but I rather want to press Amano-san for details before the information comes out."

"Huh?" Akira only turned a confused look at him. Then his eyes managed to catch a game on the goban. _ 'Impressive,' _he thought at the complicated battle that had taken place. _'How did the game get this complicated?'_ he wondered. It was a finished game but he couldn't seem to analyze how the stones got to their positions.

"Father, whose game is this?" Akira asked as he stared at the board, no longer able to keep his curiosity.

Ogata chuckled. "Fujiwara no Sai's"

"Fujiwara no Sai?" Akira repeated trying to remember where he had heard that name. Then his eyes widened. "You don't mean…?"

"It's been more than twenty years since he disappeared, right Touya-Sensei?" Ogata turned to the Meijin.

Amano gave a sad sigh as memories of the past came back to him. "Fujiwara no Sai… actually, his name was Fujiwara Sai but because he was known to use old joseki, many would refer him as Fujiwara no Sai." He turned to Akira. "You probably know him better as Fujiwara Honinbo."

"Ah, I've heard of him," Ashiwara added. "I heard he was very popular during his time. He held the Honinbo title more than a decade and had never lost it to anyone before he disappeared. And he was also the only player who managed to hold all 7 titles."

Sasaki nodded. "He was a mysterious guy, eccentric even, someone who was really obsessed with the game. He was also known as the modern Shusaku Honinbo during his time. He was that strong. He became a pro at 12, then entered the leagues at 14. He won the Honinbo title at 18 and held for 14 years."

Ogata chuckled. "He was the only person your father had ever considered to be his rival but he disappeared even before Touya-sensei managed to grab a win against him. I bet that was one of your father's greatest frustrations. Right, sensei?" But the Meijin kept his silence and continued to gaze at the board. Ogata continued.

"The last game they played was the finals for the Meijin title and your father was the challenger. But Fujiwara-sensei went above him. Hell, no one could compare against Fujiwara no Sai during those times. He was almost unbeatable. In fact, he holds the most number of consecutive wins in professional go's history – 53 consecutive wins, Kuwabara's 28 only comes second. Go professionals fear him, including those from the other countries."

Akira was amazed as he listened to the feats of Fujiwara Honinbo. He had heard a lot about him and he had seen many of his kifus. He knew he was an amazing player but to hear such praises from high-ranked players was something. He leaned forward, eager to know about the legendary go player. "Where is he now?" he asked.

The five men in front of him were suddenly silenced. Amano gave a sigh and handed Akira a piece of paper. "It's still a draft article but I'm sure it will be major news once released in the next issue."

Akira took the paper and read it.

_One of Japan's Greatest Go Players Dies at 56_

After he had read it, Akira couldn't help but shake his head. "I can't believe a person can have all these accomplishments," he commented as the article had listed the history of Fujiwara Sai's records. "B-but why did he disappear? What could have caused him to turn his back to the game he obviously loves?"

Ashiwara had a blank look on him, but the other older players looked at each other, knowing full well the tragedy that had befell the legendary player.

Touya Kouyo sighed. "There was a huge scandal about it. During the finals for the Kisei match, Fujiwara lost the title. Even before the end of the match, rumors had been escalating that Fujiwara received money in return for losing the match. Fujiwara Honinbo refused to comment. People began to think badly about him. Two days after the match, we heard in the news that Fujiwara was hospitalized. We later learned that he really lost the match in purpose in exchange for the release of his adopted daughter who was kidnapped. The girl was actually the daughter of his deceased sister, and since he was not married, he brought up the girl like his own. But when Fujiwara went to fetch his daughter, he went berserk when he saw her abused state. It seemed that the kidnappers had no plan to let them live, they tried to kill them but the girl covered for him."

"When the authorities arrived, the girl was already dead and Fujiwara was severely injured. The kidnappers were caught and sentenced for life. It seemed that there was a huge bet on the outcome of the game and involved was a large yakuza group. Fujiwara survived but his injuries in the lower part of his body caused him disability to ever walk again. After that, Fujiwara Honinbo retired from the Go world. The Go Institute tried to stop him and convinced him to reconsider since he could still play despite his disability but the hurt caused by the tragedy was just too much for him to handle. He disappeared after that and nothing was heard about him. The Go world was in a sorry state after that since he still held 6 titles after losing the Kisei title," Kouyo finished.

"But how did the Go Weekly found him?" Ashiwara asked.

"It was actually more of a coincidence," Amano explained. "One of our reporters went to Kyoten with a friend to attend a family reunion. That friend visited the grave of his grandmother and he tagged along. While he was in the cemetery, he noticed a teenager sitting in front of a grave. The boy left something that looked like a mini go board then entered a black car and took off. He was curious, so he went to the grave and saw that it was indeed a foldable goban and stones were arranged in a pattern that looks like a game had took place. And it was such a great game that the reporter took a picture of it. Then he looked at the grave and was surprised when he saw the name of Fujiwara Sai. Of course, he's familiar with the name so he tried to investigate."

"I was with Amano-san when the reporter called and told him the news," Ogata added. "We asked him to investigate further but it turned out that there was nothing much that happened to him after he left the professional world. He lived in reclusion and his neighbors didn't know much about him. The old lady who took care of his house said that there were only 2 people who were in contact with him. Fujiwara Sai's old friend already died but the grandson had stayed with Fujiwara until the end. Unfortunately, the old lady was senile enough to remember their names. All of Fujiwara Sai's properties were donated to charity since he doesn't have any remaining relatives."

Akira turned his gaze back to the goban. "Is this…?"

"The game that was seen in front of Fujiwara Sai's grave," Kouyo finished for him, his gaze unwavering as he continued to stare at the board.

Ogata chuckled to lighten up the mood. "But Fujiwara-sensei was really something, don't you think?" He turned to the persons surrounding the goban. "After so many years, he still came back and presented us another amazing kifu before he died." He turned his gaze back to the game. "But you know what's more amazing…? It's Fujiwara sai's opponent."

That caught the attention of everyone. "In this game, black won. It's most probable that Fujiwara Sai was black, since his style was definitely obvious on this game. But the style of the one holding the whites was also identical to Sai's. But then, it's impossible to play a game like this by yourself."

"I think you already have an idea what I'm getting at," Ogata said as he looked at them. "There's someone out there whose ability is on par with Fujiwara Sai's…"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Ah, Touya-kun," the Koshino-sensei greeted Akira when they happened to walk together towards class. "You finally went to school. How was your game?"

"It was okay, sensei," he smiled in response.

His teacher chuckled. "Obviously, you won. I've been following your career and I'm impressed with your success. The Weekly Go just described you as the future of Japanese Go."

"Arigatou, sensei," Akira responded, slightly embarrassed at the praise, not knowing what to say anymore.

The teacher sighed as they neared the door. "Your classmates seemed to have become even noisier since that new boy arrived."

"Huh?" Akira gave him a confused look.

When they opened the door, Akira was quite surprised to see most of his classmates gathered in one area and were laughing out loud.

"Shindo, you idiot! I did not say that!"

The other students laughed even more when the usually quiet Taki was grabbing the bleached banged boy in a headlock.

"Yeow! Taki-chan! My head's gonna fall!" the boy cried out mimicking a girl's voice.

Koshino-sensei got a little annoyed and began clapping his hands to get their attention. "Class, that's enough! We're going to start homeroom now," he announced loudly.

The students groaned but followed the teacher and then returned to their seats.

"Hey, Shindo. How about a game in the arcade later?" one of boys asked.

"Sorry, buster. Shindo already agreed to play soccer with us after class."

"Yeah, sorry Hino. How about tomorrow?" the boy named Shindo asked.

"That's great."

Akira placed his bag under his seat when he noticed the boy with blond bangs sat on the seat at his right. Then the boy turned towards him and was quite surprised when he noticed him. A bright smile formed on his face.

"So, you finally went to school, eh? I'm Shindo Hikaru. I just started going to this school last week."

Akira returned a small smile. "Touya Akira. Pleased to meet you."

The boy leaned towards him. "I heard that you were absent because of some games. Lucky you. Are you an athlete?" Shindo asked curiously.

"He's a go professional," the boy in front of Shindo interjected, obviously listening to their conversation.

"Really? As in the boardgame go?" Shindo said in amazement, then his brows furrowed. "Ano… what does a go professional do?"

The other boy snickered at that, which annoyed Shindo and he poked the student using his pencil. "Hey, sorry for being ignorant," Shindo muttered, then he turned to Akira. "But honestly, what does a go professional do?"

Akira sighed. "We play in tournaments, just like professionals in other sports. And we also hold seminars and tutoring lessons."

"Oh… so that means you're good?" Shindo asked curiously.

"Hikaru, don't tell me you're going to challenge Touya-kun?" Akari asked jokingly. Akari was actually the first friend Shindo Hikaru was able to make in that school. So she got the privilege to call him by his first name.

"I was just asking," Shindo snapped.

"Oi Shindo, do you even know how to play go?" another classmate asked.

"A little," Shindo admitted. "But I've only played against my grandpa and a friend."

His classmate laughed. "If that's so, don't bother playing against Touya. He'll crush you for sure. I heard from my gramps that Touya can even outplay some of the older pros."

"Sou ka…?"

The conversations continued and the teacher finally got annoyed and called their attentions.

Akira sighed. They were talking about go but he felt kind of left out of the conversation although it started with him. He had always been quiet and serious since he was a child. His goals had been focused on go and he was more used being with older people rather than children his age. He had never been that close even to his classmates, many of whom he had known since junior high. That's why it kind of amazed him that Shindo Hikaru, being a new student, was able to talk, communicate, and joke around with his classmates like they had known him for a long time.

He lightly turned his head and noticed the transfer student suppressing his laughter over what the kid in front of him whispered. Akira sighed and ignored them, trying to focus his attention on the lesson. But his mind was still full of what they had discussed last Friday.

_There's someone out there whose ability is on par with Fujiwara Sai's… _

Akira rubbed his forehead as he continued to think on the matter. '_Who could he be…?' _

**.:to be continued:.**

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_Hello! Second chapter finally up… sorry for the wait. Anywayz, I'm really surprised at the number of reviews for this first chapter. Thanks everyone! Hope you like this chapter. Please read & review... :-)  
_


	3. Chap 03 Internet Mayhem

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 3 – Classmates  
**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

The room was silent except for the familiar sounds of 'pachi' as stones left their owners' hands and connect into the intersecting lines on the surface of the boards. No one emitted a word, save for some players slightly sweating and shifting uncomfortably from their seiza positions as they contemplated and distressed over the current positions of their games. It was a relief for some, when the officiating pro finally announced to stop the clock and allowed them to take their lunches.

Giving a soft sigh, a young man in his early twenties pushed himself to stand and cast a glance over a messy haired youth who was grinning broadly while approaching him.

"Yo Isumi!"

Isumi Sinichiro 2dan paused and waited for his friend to catch up. "Waya," he greeted. "How's your game?"

Waya Yoshitaka grinned while they walked towards the shelf where they left their shoes. "My plan is going nicely. I just hope I won't lose my momentum after lunch."

"Well, good for you. Mine's a little complicated," Isumi muttered as he took his shoes. Another group was conversing just behind them, but a single name came up which caused them to pause and unconsciously found themselves eavesdropping at the conversation.

"Touya Akira seems to be in a bad mood."

'_Touya again, huh?'_ Waya thought in disgust. Anything that concerned the infamous go prodigy is news in the pro world. Well, why wouldn't they? Despite his lack of social skills, no one could deny his abilities in go that was honed by his father ever since he was small. He passed the pro exams like it was nothing and rapidly made a name in the go world. His 4 dan status doesn't justify his strength and all those who had played with him clearly could attest to that.

Waya turned to look at the group of four and noticed that among them was a shodan who had his head down.

One of them shook his head. "It's okay, Tatsuya-kun," he said, patting the young man's shoulder. "You're just unlucky you were matched against him for your first official game."

"Yeah. But still, he had to resign even before lunch," his other companion muttered.

The shodan smiled meekly. "I don't think he trashed me because he's in a bad mood or anything. His game was… it was just so amazing. I wouldn't have won even if it's by luck."

But his friend seemed unconvinced. "But I tell you, he's in a bad mood. He always has this serious and blank expression, but when I saw him stepped out of the room, his eyes were definitely twitching and he looked pissed off."

"He was calm during the game," the shodan insisted, then he paused and began to think. "I guess his demeanor changed when his friend… uhm… I think his name is Ashiwara-san, approached him."

His three companions turned to him, confused expressions on their faces. "Why?" one of them asked.

Tatsuya 1-dan scratched his head. "I don't know… Ashiwara-san just commented that his hair had gotten longer."

"Eh?"

The group continued walking away leaving Waya and Isumi staring at their backs. "Touya Akira getting pissed off? I haven't heard that before," Isumi commented.

"What do we care about that brat?" Waya mumbled. "Come on. Let's get our lunch."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

The lunch area was filled with noise as the pros converse with each other while eating their lunch.

Waya gritted his teeth tightly as he stared at his food. Fate seemed to hate him. Of all the places, why did Touya Akira have to sit in their table and just a seat away from him? He sneaked a glance at the go prodigy, and was a bit surprised that he was wearing the most indescribable expression he had ever seen on him. _'So, they were right after all. He really is in a bad mood,'_ he mused. In fact Ashiwara 5-dan who just came for a visit was a proof of that. He was sweating profusely as he sat in front of his junior. And he couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Really Akira-kun… you shouldn't take it personally," Ashiwara tried to appease him.

"Not personally?" Akira gritted out, irritation evident in his tone. "That loud overbearing brat is making a mess of my school life!"

Waya's brows lifted slightly. _'Loud overbearing brat?'_ he thought in amusement, wondering who Touya was referring to. But whoever he was, he sure knew how to make the poker-faced go prodigy explode.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"_Yo Touya! You're good in math right? Can I borrow your homework?"_

Akira clenched his hand over his water bottle. One month. It has been a month since he stepped into his classroom and met the new transfer student with blond bangs, and his life had been utterly hell.

"_Hey, what's with that expression? You've eaten spoiled food or something? Are you constipated?"_

Damn! He was used to being ignored among his peers. He had grown among the company of adults that he didn't how to act in front of students his age. While they would talk about ball games, video games, karaoke, and girls, he only knew about go. He had wished he could be a part of their group but he tend to keep quiet whenever he was with them, and he couldn't relate to whatever they were discussing about. One time he tried to add something in their conversation, they all paused and looked at him like he had grown two heads or something. So he preferred to stay quiet unless asked. He wished he could have more confidence talking to younger people. He wished he also had friends his age. But then, the isolation and being ignored was better compared to being friends with that loud mouthed brat.

"_Ah it's Touya! Sorry, I thought you were a girl…"_

What was worse was that he was seated beside that devil. He didn't know if Shindo was trying to befriend him, or trying to bully him. But as days went by, he began to feel that it was the latter. Maybe it was because he couldn't handle jokes well. He knew Shindo likes to joke around, and he had even heard him say worse to their other classmates, and they just laughed over it like it was nothing. But too much is too much. And his patience was running low with that crazy boy. And what happened yesterday just ticked the hell out of him.

"_Shindo, I've reminded you several times about that hair of yours," Himura-sensei told the bleached haired boy._

_Shindo Hikaru scratched his head. "Come on sensei. There's no rule in the handbook about bleached hair. Besides, this has sentimental value."_

_That response caused snickers and giggles among his classmates._

"_I have no time for your nonsense jokes Shindo!"_

"_But it's true!" Shindo insisted. "Besides, if there's really a strict rule on hair style…" He lifted his left hand and pointed his thumb at Akira. "Why is Touya allowed to have that girly haircut?"_

_Silence filled the room as all the students, including Himura-sensei, turned to look at the red-faced Touya Akira. It was a good thing that the bell rang and Himura-sensei immediately excused himself but not after giving detention to Shindo. Loud laughter immediately filled the room while the other boys clapped Shindo on the back._

"_That was ingenious Shindo!"_

"_Sentimental value? Man, that's rich!"_

_Shindo just snorted. "It's the truth. I don't care if you don't believe it." Then he turned to Akira and grinned. "Hey Touya, no offense meant there, okay?"_

"No offense meant?!" Akira bit out angrily, keeping his voice low. "He meant no offense on that remark? Is he stupid or what?!"

Ashiwara sweatdropped. He had never seen Akira like this. He delivered a package to Amano-san from Ogata Judan, so he just visited to check if Akira was finished his game so he could drop him off to his house, knowing full well that his opponent was a shodan so it was unlikely that Akira would have any trouble. He didn't have any idea that a single comment could drive the poker-faced pro off the wall. And all because of some kid named Shindo. "Really Akira-kun…"

"And what the hell is wrong with my hair?!"

The room was filled with eerie silence as the other pros in the lunch room stared at the red-faced Touya Akira, who is totally different from his normally composed and quiet self. Akira seemed to have noticed that his voice had went out quite loud, that he was left to stare at his forgotten lunch, completely embarrassed at his immature outburst.

Just then a choke was heard and Akira turned to a teen with messy brown hair a seat apart from him covered his mouth and turned his face away. He couldn't help notice with embarrassment that the boy's shoulder was shaking, and most probably with laughter. The dark haired guy in front of the boy had the decency to redden with shame at his friend's behavior and hastily pulled his friend out of the room.

The other pros immediately returned their attention to their lunch or the people they were conversing with but not before Touya saw their amused and laughing expression.

"Akira-kun…" Ashiwara called softly to him.

"I'm going home," he muttered quietly before he gathered his things and stepped out, Ashiwara behind his tracks.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Waya was still laughing his heart out while Isumi was trying to make him stop. "God… t-that w-was priceless!" he managed to say between laughs.

"That was rude, Waya," Isumi remarked, completely embarrassed at his friend's reaction.

"Well, I couldn't help it!" Waya exclaimed as he clutched his stomach. "Remind me to congratulate whoever that Shindo was if ever I come across him."

Isumi sighed at his friend's unreasonable dislike against Touya Akira. Actually, it's not only Waya. A lot of younger pros hated him too. It must be because of jealousy, or the attention that was given to him by the media and by the higher dans, or simply because of his arrogant personality. Well, he couldn't really say that Touya was arrogant, but he seldom talks to anyone aside from his father's students. He doesn't interact with other pros, especially with lower dans, which made people think that he was looking down at them. And his go skill was something that could crash a man's pride. He, for one, doesn't hate Touya like Waya does. But the feeling of intimidation was there the few times they had played against each other.

He shook his head and turned his attention to Waya. "By the way, are you heading home after this?"

Waya had already stopped laughing, but an amused smile still continued to linger on his mouth. "Yeah, my computer will be delivered today. Man, it really sucked when the hard disk crashed. But anyway, at least it's okay now. I think I'll just play internet go when I get home. It has been a while since I logged in."

"You're still into that?" Isumi asked. He knew Waya liked to play internet go even back during their insei days, and he had only tried it a few times because of Waya's insistence.

"Wanna come?" Waya asked.

Isumi shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. I don't have anything to do after this."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Oi, Shindo!"

The bleached haired boy paused from packing his things and turned his head towards his classmate. "Yeah?"

"We're planning to go to the karaoke bar later," Hoshino said, grinning broadly. "With the girls…" he added in a whisper.

Hikaru thought for a moment, then grinned back. "Sure! What time? I'll just have…" he paused when he felt something tapped him from behind.

"Hikaru, you promised to accompany me to buy something for my dad," Akari reminded him. For the past month, being seatmates with Fujisaki Akari had pulled them closer, and added the fact that Akari was actually his neighbor. Akari was a cool friend, even for a girl, and they shared the same interests when it comes to video games. Akari would come over his place and play a game with him or help him babysit his little brother.

"Oh drat," Hikaru muttered. "Hey, I didn't promise anything!'

"You lost the bet against me, so you have to go with me," Akari insisted.

"We're planning to go there at around 5 pm anyway since Fujima and Shino have council meetings," Hoshino interjected at their bickering. "Maybe you could just meet us there after you're done with your shopping."

"Whoa, there's enough time. Let's go ahead Akari, so we could catch up with them later," Hikaru grabbed her hand and dragged her outside the room. "Hoshino, we'll be there," he yelled to his friend before he disappeared with Akari after him.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"We should have checked the other stores first," Akari muttered, looking at her watch.

"Well, at least we finished your task quickly," Hikaru replied stubbornly.

"So what are we going to do for the next hour?" Akari asked him impatiently.

"For one, we shouldn't eat since we're going to eat there anyway," he said.

Akari sighed. "I just hope cute little Sasuke won't be influenced by that stubborn personality of yours."

"Sai's no longer little. He's already 6 years old and I'm not stubborn," Hikaru snapped at her.

"You're the only one who calls him Sai," Akari reminded.

"Well, it's my special nickname for him," he replied stubbornly._ 'Well, his bluish black hair reminds me of Sai, though he's more interested in my video games than go,'_ he thought as the image of his little brother reminded him more of himself before he met Sai.

Akari just sighed and glanced around; then a shop just in front of them caught her attention. "Hey, there's an internet café," Akari pointed out.

Hikaru cocked his brow. "So?"

"There was a problem with my broadband connection so I can't check my mails," Akari explained. "Is it okay? It's just for a short while. But if you don't want to, we can just…"

She was cut off when Hikaru started pulling her towards the internet café. "You're noisy."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Akari settled in one of the computers while Hikaru wandered around. He was looking into some of the new computer games displayed when something caught his eye. It seemed that there was someone who was playing something that looked like go on the computer.

'_Go? Is there an online game of go in the internet?'_ he thought as he walked towards that person and observed the game from behind.

At one glance, he knew that white was winning. The person in front of him was holding the black and seemed careless with his play. _'At least I'm not the only one who sucked big time at go,'_ he mused. The game wasn't going any better for black when he suddenly made a move that allowed white to eat up a number of his stones and dominate the upper left territory.

With a frustrated curse, the boy banged his fist on the table startling several customers. He then moved the mouse and pressed something. Hikaru was surprised when he saw a message prompt confirming his resignation.

"You're going to resign already?" Hikaru wasn't able to stop himself from asking.

The boy turned his head and glared at him. "I've already lost. Besides, it's none of your damned business."

Hikaru cocked his head as he stared at the screen. "But it's far from over."

The boy got annoyed and got up. "Then you continue the game. I'm getting the hell out of here."

Hikaru eyes trailed him as he went to pay his fee to the cashier. Another salesgirl walked towards the computer to shut it down when something occurred to Hikaru.

"Uhm… excuse me miss? Can I take this one?" he asked, pointing at the computer.

After a few minutes, Hikaru took his seat and winced at the time left for his move. He surveyed the position of the stones. It was quite a mess, but he thought it was not completely over. A large portion of the upper left cluster was dead, but then the lower groups were not yet completely dominated. Maybe he could do something to take control over that territory. Hikaru scratched his head. He was not sure if he could pull it out. Every time he thought of something against Sai, his friend always managed to thwart all his plans. But there was nothing wrong in trying, right? Reaching for the mouse, he made his move.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Waya and Isumi couldn't help but gape at the game that took place. At first Waya was annoyed at his opponent. He was too careless, a complete amateur. But after that long pause, he came back, this time with full vengeance. He didn't know how it happened but stone after stone slowly diminished his advantage until the point where he was left with no other choice but to resign. It was humiliating. He was a pro, for Christ's sake! And to think that this guy was left with a minute for each move since he had wasted precious time during that long pause. He couldn't believe someone managed to pull such a play against him. And he was sure about it, this guy was completely different from the person he played first. He was red with fury. That was cheating!

Annoyed and frustrated, he quickly typed a message.

_Zelda: Not fair! You switched players! Who the hell are you?!_

Hikaru winced. His opponent was pretty sharp to have noticed the sudden change. But a mischievous thought crossed his mind and typed back his answer.

_Kano88: I'm strong, aren't I?_

He was still waiting for a reply, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hikaru, I'm finished," Akari told him, then glanced at the computer screen. "You're playing internet go?"

"Yeah, and I won," Hikaru stood up and grinned at her. He left the computer, failing to notice that there was a reply on the screen.

_Zelda: Who are you? I'm a go professional._

His smile was never lost as they walked out of the internet café. Damn! It felt good to win. For years, he had to mope around because Sai would never let him win. Well, he was already winning games against his grandpa before he died, but after his death, he was left with no one but Sai to play. It took him another four years before he made his first and last win against Sai. So every win was like a trophy for him, that he couldn't help stop the huge grin on his face.

"You're unusually too happy for just a win…" Akari noted amusedly as they walked out of the internet café. It was near 5 pm and the karaoke bar was just a few blocks away.

Hikaru rolled his eye and snorted. "Of course I am. It's so seldom I get to win in go."

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

**_Just some clarifications…_**

**_In Sai's last game, Shindo won. He was black and Sai was white. Ogata and the rest of the group only assumed that Sai was the one who won._**

**_Regarding the rivalry, I'm still not sure if it will be solely Touya Akira._**

**_Why were Hikaru and Akari in Kaiou? Well, this is an AU so I'm not really following the canon. I just thought that it would be interesting to have Shindo and Touya be classmates. Let's just say that Shindo's family may not be as rich as Touya's but they can afford to send him to a private school. Besides they owe it to him considering that they left him for several years under his jichan's care. And Shindo was under Sai's guidance, so his grades were not that bad._**

**_What will drive Shindo to the pro world? Just read to find out… _**

**_If you're going to ask if Shindo's younger brother is the reincarnation of Sai… the answer is no. He just missed Sai and his brother's hair color reminds him of Sai. So nothing supernatural here… _**

**_Thanks to all your reviews… please read & review…_**


	4. Chap 04 Kaiou Go Club

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

"Tadaima!" Hikaru called out as he took off his shoes and placed them by the wall. He walked into the living room, suddenly feeling hungry as he smelt the appetizing aroma coming from the kitchen.

"Hikaru, you're back," his mother greeted as she poked her head from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll just be in my room, mom," he replied as he walked up the stairs to his room.

Feeling the tiredness enveloping him, Hikaru closed the door to his room and leaned against it as he dropped his bag on the floor. It had been a month. A month since he had transferred from Kyoten to Tokyo to live with his parents… his real family. A month since he enrolled to a new school and started a new life. More than a month since Sai died.

He sighed and closed his eyes as he reminisced his times again with Sai and Jichan. He should have been over that loneliness caused by Sai's death. But losing his friend and father-image who had taken care of him for a long time was still difficult to accept. His parents tried to reach out to him, but he still couldn't forget the abandonment he felt when they left him to his grandfather. He had forgiven them already but the love he felt for his second parents, namely his Jichan and Sai, was far greater than what he felt to his real parents. Besides, his father was rarely home due to his work, and his mom was often occupied in taking care of his younger brother. He knew they loved him, he was their first born for pete's sake but they weren't giving him full attention unlike Sai and Jichan. But he knew he had to move on, surely Jichan and Sai would have lectured it on his face. That was why he made new friends and tried to enjoy himself in school and in his new surroundings. But now alone in his room made him remember again all those happy memories he had with his grandfather and Sai. He glanced around the room. It was much smaller compared to his room at Sai's place but many of his things were already brought here.

His eyes caught hold of the picture frames by his desk. He walked towards it and smiled as he took one of the frames and examined it. There on the picture were him, Sai, and Jichan. It was his 8th birthday and it was a simple but happy celebration for the three of them. He was hugging Sai at the back while hanging on his wheelchair. The mischievous grin brightened his face as he made a 'V' sign against the camera, while Sai and Jichan had worn party hats and were laughing at his antics. Two other frames showed him each with Sai and Jichan as they smiled contently against the camera. The last frame showed a recent picture of him and his real family – his parents and his younger brother. That last picture brought him back to reality that Sai and Jichan were no longer with him and that he was facing a new life in a different environment and with different people.

He sat on the floor and leaned against his bed while still staring at the picture when suddenly, the door creaked open and a small head popped from it.

"O-onii-chan…"

Hikaru set the picture aside as he turned and smiled at his 6 year old little brother. Despite everything that happened, he was still happy that he came home because he finally got to know his cute little brother. "Come here, Sai," he called. Sasuke happily ran and threw himself at him causing him to fall on his back against the floor.

"Where's my chocolate?" Sasuke asked, pouting, as he sat on Hikaru's stomach.

Hikaru grinned as he reached inside his pocket and retrieved a chocolate bar. "Don't tell mom, okay?" he said as he handed him a chocolate bar. "And eat it only after dinner."

He ruffled the boy's dark blue hair and got up. Sasuke was quietly observing while he unpacked his things and changed his clothes. When he turned, he noticed the little boy was looking at the direction of the go board that he got from Sai. He didn't know why, but a felt a surge of happiness at the thought that his little brother might have interest in go. He remembered that he was almost at the same age when Sai had taught him how to play go. Since he had arrived in Tokyo, he missed the nightly games he played with Sai. But then no one in his family knows how to play go, nor his friends. Well, his classmate Touya Akira knows go, but he was in a far advanced level that he wouldn't give any attention to a lowly amateur like him. Besides, Touya was such as stiff board that sometimes he couldn't help wonder if Touya hated him.

Glancing back to Sasuke, he went towards him and pinched his little nose. "Hey Sai, want to play go? I can teach you," he told the little boy, pointing at the go board.

But little boy pouted at him and pointed at the play station beside the go board.

"Do you have a new game?" he asked.

Hikaru sighed. _'I guess he isn't really interested in go…'_

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Since he missed some of the school days due to his matches, Akira would often borrow the class president's notes pertaining to the lessons he had missed. He could borrow his seatmate's notes but Shindo was the worse when it comes to taking down notes. The one time he was forced to borrow his notebook, he had looked aghast at the scribbles and drawings in it instead of notes. He even saw some caricatures of his classmates. He would have been amused by it if he hadn't seen himself in the drawings with an exaggerated girly face. He had glared at the mischievous boy but he just looked at him with an innocent expression. How he loved to strangle his neck at that time.

There was still a few minutes left before homeroom starts and the class was noisy with his classmates chatting and gossiping among each other.

"I felt I could die laughing when Shindo sang that song. Damn, that was hilarious," one of their classmates said while laughing.

"Yeah. But I can't believe that chick thought he was cute!" Taki said in exasperation. "Man, why does he always have the luck?"

"Speaking of the devil, where is he?" Hoshino asked, glancing around the room. "He's going to be late."

"He'll arrive in a minute," Akari said, shrugging her shoulders. "As if you don't know his tendency to arrive just in time for the bell."

As if on cue, the door slammed open, and the bleached haired boy went inside panting. "Great, I'm not late," he gasped for breathe.

"Yo Shindo!" his friends called him and he joined their conversation, laughing at some jokes, and retelling at some events that happened during the past week.

When the teacher arrived, they all went back to their seats, and Akira stiffened as Shindo took his seat at his right. He continued to focus his attention on the notes he was reading, but inside he was wishing that his seatmate would leave him alone for today.

"Hiya Touya, long time, no see," Shindo greeted him, with that usual smirk on his face.

He just nodded in reply but refused to give his attention on him. _ 'Please, please leave me alone!'_ Suddenly, he jerked when he felt something land on his lap.

"You should try reading that stuff. It's much better than the one you're holding."

He turned a confused look at Shindo who was grinning widely. Dread filled him as he took a peek at what seemed like a magazine on his lap. His eyes widened as he felt his whole face burning red. He quickly hid the magazine inside his bag, afraid that the teacher might suddenly glance his way and catch him with it. One way or another, he had to return it to its perverted owner who was currently trying to control his laughter._'Damn you Shindo!'_

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Class, you're going to have a project for this semester."

Groans and protests were heard all over the room. It was the last class before club period, and the students were anticipating the near end of the classes. But Hino-sensei ignored them, already expecting that kind of reaction from all of his classes. "Okay class, settle down," he clapped his hands to get their attention. "We're going to have it by pairs. So everyone, please face your seatmate and say hello to your partner."

Akira bit the insides of his cheek as he forced himself to turn towards his partner. Shindo, on the other hand, had a huge smile beaming on his face as he extended his hand towards him.

"Hiya partner," he greeted cheerfully.

The gods must have hated him. For all the skill and talent he was blessed with in go, he got a cursed luck when it comes to making friends with people his own age. Akira accepted the hand but inside he was cursing. _'Damn! Damn! Why does it have to be Shindo?'_

Hino-sensei explained the details of the project for their Asian studies class, assigning them a specific country to research on and to submit their work after a time period of one month. After that, they were given time to discuss with their partners on their plans.

"So, we have a month for this project which we can work on weekends," Shindo groaned as he ruffled his bleached bangs. "Stupid sensei. This will cost me my fun time on weekends," he complained.

For the first time, Akira agreed with him._ 'Yeah and I wouldn't have to spend my time being insulted and bullied by you,'_ he growled inside. "Uhm, we can meet here in school on weekends if you want."

"Bo-ring," Shindo drawled, rolling his eyes. "We're always at school. Why not at your house?"

Akira's eyes widened._'No way! Not at my house! What if Ogata-san will be there? Or Ashiwara-san? Or the other pros?'_ Akira thought wildly. He could just imagine his humiliation with Shindo strutting inside his home, going towards his mother, smiling charmingly while saying_'Touya-san, you really look young and pretty for your age. Touya-kun must have gotten his features from you. Too bad, he turned out to be a son, eh?'_

No! No! He would never let Shindo inside his house! "Why don't we have it at your home?" he suggested hopefully.

Shindo scratched his head. "Well, that is if you want our project to be trashed. I have a younger brother who follows me everywhere. He always checks out my things," Shindo replied. "I think it would be better if we do it in your house. I've heard you got a huge space there."

Akira shifted uncomfortably. "Not really…" he felt himself sweating. "How about a public library?" he suggested again.

But Shindo just shook his head. "Nah. We have to keep quiet while inside the library. I still think your house is better. Besides, if we use your house, there's a chance I'll get free food. Your mom is a good cook, I assume?" Shindo asked eagerly.

"W-well, I.. uh…"

Shindo narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "You're not hiding something inside your house, are you Touya-kun?"

"Of course not!" Akira yelled indignantly, catching the attention of his other classmates. He suddenly flushed at being embarrassed again.

"It's settled then," Shindo beamed. "I'll go to your house on Saturday afternoon. Just give me the directions."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"You really like bullying Touya, don't you?" Amazuki Hoshino commented, amusement in his tone. He was one of the closest friends he had in the classroom aside from Akari. Hoshino had persuaded him to join the soccer club since he learned that Hikaru used to play soccer in his previous school. They had just finished soccer practice and were changing their clothes.

Hikaru turned a confused look at him. "Bully Touya? No, I don't," he plainly defended himself. "Well I sort of like teasing him. He always has this blank look, and it's just fun seeing other expressions on his face."

Hoshino chuckled. "You're crazy, you know? You also did that to Taki-kun."

"At least it had done him good," Hikaru argued. "He's more open now and often comes with us when we go out." A soft smile graced his features as he played with the soccer ball on his hands. Kamura Taki was also a silent type of guy and seemed to be at lost in class. When Hikaru accidentally overheard him practicing his lines to confess to a girl, he started teasing him about it. Hikaru easily bonded with the class with his friendly and teasing nature, and since Taki became quite close to him, his other classmates also began to include him in their conversations. "They're just a lonely bunch. You just need to break down their defenses a little and you'll realize they're not what you assume them to be." He cocked his head towards his friend. "You guys never tried to make friends with Touya-kun, have you?"

Hoshino shrugged and sighed guiltily. "He's so quiet, that it's creepy sometimes. We were classmates in junior high and there was a big fuss about him being a son of a highly regarded go player. Some of our classmates tried to befriend him but it's just difficult talking to him. It seems he doesn't know anything aside from go and what we learn in school. It's like he's in his own world and refuses to let anyone in. I guess it was too late for him to realize that friendships were formed while he busied himself with go. He was left out and must have focused all his attention to go."

"Go players are really eccentric people," Hikaru muttered in amusement as he remembered an old friend who seemed to have the same problem. Based on his stories, Sai seemed to have been alone almost all his life that he had dedicated himself to go like a go playing machine. Only one thing… one person had been his light, his angel who had guided him to balance his life between go and the outside world. He knew that Sai had loved his daughter so much and she was the only one who could get him to stop from playing. But she died. Hikaru didn't know how or what happened but it destroyed Sai. Sai secluded himself from everyone with only a go board to keep him from losing his sanity. He said he never had other friends because all his life he had dedicated himself to playing go, to find the hand of god, whatever that meant. After her death, Sai refused to speak with anyone, refused help from anyone, until people eventually got tired and let him be. No one tried to help him further but let him slide to even worse depression. So he left and settled down away from those who knew him. Sometimes, Hikaru had to wonder how Sai had survived all those years with only a go board to accompany him in his huge house. The housekeeper wasn't even talking to him. The day Sai caught him sneaking into his house, he had been frightened at the sight of the old and crippled man but the sadness in those indigo eyes, similar to his own anguish and sense of loneliness had drew his innocent and curious self towards him. Sai tried to push him away too, but he was never the type to give up easily. He went to his place everyday after school, trying to tell him of how his school had been. Sai just listened while placing stones on a board. It went on for weeks, until the sight of the little boy sitting across the go board, observing him and recounting his school events became a normal sight for Sai. Eventually, Sai's defenses slowly crumpled. Hikaru was enthusiastic when one afternoon while he was retelling some stupid thing his classmate did, Sai paused and looked at him warmly. _ "Hikaru-kun, would you like to learn how to play go?" _

"But you seemed to know how to handle them well, Shindo," Hoshino said to him, waking him from his musings.

Hikaru smirked. "Of course, I'm such a nice guy after all." He took his duffel bag and was about to leave, when Hoshino's arm stopped him.

"Wait a minute Mr. Nice Guy," he said laughing. "I think you need to help out the other freshman in carrying the supplies to the soccer room."

"What?!" Hikaru cried. "Hey, I'm a junior too."

"We might be on the same year, but you're still a newbie. So scoot," Hoshino replied with a laugh. "That was captain's orders."

Hikaru frowned but couldn't do anything but follow. "Geez, just because I'm new here, they're making me their errand boy," Hikaru grumbled as he carried a box of supplies towards the soccer club room.

The freshman beside him laughed. "Senpai, it's part of the initiation for new players."

"I had already undergone this kind of initiation in my previous school," Hikaru continued to grumble.

Club period was already over and after they had placed the boxes inside the room, the younger student left, while he remembered that he left his jacket in the classroom. He opened the door to the room and was surprised to see Tanaka-sensei still inside.

"Tanaka-sensei," he greeted as he went towards his seat and took his jacket.

"Ah, Shindo-kun. Do you have a moment?" Tanaka-sensei called him. "Can you help me deliver some boxes to the Go Club room?"

'_Great! Why is everyone asking me to carry something?' _he thought in annoyance when something about sensei said clicked in him. "Eh? Go Club?" Hikaru asked curiously, a little excited at the thought. "There's a go club in this school?"

Tanaka chuckled as he motioned him to follow. When they arrived at the teacher's office, Tanaka gave him one of the three boxes to carry. But he insisted on carrying the two.

"This is kind of heavy. What's inside?" Hikaru asked, lifting the 2 of the boxes while Tanaka-sensei carried the last one.

"Go boards," Tanaka replied, while they carried the boxes towards their destination. "The Go club made a request for additional boards and I know a friend where we can get good ones at a discount. So they made the purchase through me. They were just delivered today."

"Wow the school really has huge budgets on clubs, eh?" Hikaru commented, remembering that in his previous school, the students will have to raise funds if they want to buy something related to their clubs,

Tanaka just looked at him with amusement. "Not really. But the Go Club is an exception."

"Huh?" Hikaru looked at him in confusion.

"Don't you know? Kaio has the best Go Club in the whole prefecture and one of the best in the nation," Tanaka explained. "Some of the top pro players had even graduated from this school."

"Really?" Hikaru was amazed. It only means that players in the Go Club were probably a lot better than him. "That's cool," he replied wistfully.

Tanaka looked at him curiously. "Shindo-kun, do you play go?"

A sheepish smile formed on Hikaru's lips. "Well… yeah… a little. But I kinda suck at it. A close friend of mine taught to how to play but I always get beaten," he told him. "I guess I learned to like it, but hell, go just doesn't like me."

Tanaka shook his head in amusement. "You're one funny kid." He stopped by a door and turned to Hikaru. "Okay, here we are."

Hikaru waited, his arms getting numb from carrying the boxes, while Tanaka knocked and the door was opened by a Korean looking guy.

"Ah Yun-sensei. They just had this delivered a while ago."

"Thank you Tanaka-san," the other teacher said while opening the door widely. "Please come in."

Tanaka introduced Hikaru to Yun as one of his students. Yun then helped Hikaru with the other box and placed it on the other side of the room. After that, Hikaru got the chance the survey the room. It was quite big for an ordinary club room. The club period had already ended but there were still a few students left playing.

Tanaka suddenly called him. "Ah Shindo-kun, you may leave if you want. I still need to discuss something with Yun-sensei."

Hikaru turned to him and shrugged. "It's okay sensei, I'll just look around."

Wanting to see how other teenagers like him play, he walked towards a group and saw that a game was still going on. The other observers just looked at him curiously when he moved to stand by their side; then focused again their attention on the game. Hikaru just stood there and watched. It was still in the middle game and if he wasn't mistaken, it was pretty even. The game continued, suddenly white made a huge mistake.

"Damn!" he heard the player curse softly. Well, he couldn't blame him. It was almost even but that single mistake almost killed him. But it wasn't over yet. It might be complicated but he could still revive his stones. He just have to…

"I resign," the white player bowed his head and sighed.

'_What?!'_

"Arigatou gozaimasu," the opponent thanked him. "Yes!" he then cheered loudly at his win. The other observers congratulated him while teased the white player for losing.

Hikaru on the other hand was stunned. He resigned? Why would he resign? But it wasn't over yet! Without thinking, he stepped forward and intruded their victory.

"Uhm… ano…"

The go club members stopped talking and turned their attention at the new boy with bleached bangs.

"Why did you resign?" Hikaru asked the white player, still disturbed over the game.

The student just gave him an irritated glance. "My stones are dead. There's no way saving it," he said.

But Hikaru was not convinced. He felt uncomfortable being looked like some idiot, but he just felt that resignation at that time was wrong. "Uhm…" Hikaru started. "How about 12-10?" he suggested, pointing at an area on the board.

The go members glanced at the area he pointed; then one of them snorted. "Are you stupid?" one of the boys snorted. "What good would that move do? The territory is already dead."

"Huh?" Hikaru was surprised. Well, it looked dead at first glance but there was a path that he could see that could have revived the stones if the correct moves were made. They didn't see it? It was quite obvious! Sai would have teased him mercilessly if had missed such an opportunity. He was about to reply when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Shindo-kun, I'm leaving. Are you still staying?" Tanaka asked.

"Uhm.. I'm going back too," Hikaru replied, then mumbled an apology at the club members and left.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"What a weird boy," one of the club members shook his head as they stared at the retreating back of the bleached banged boy.

"That was so stupid," Kojima said as stared at the board. He had lost, nothing would have saved his game.

"Yeah," the others chorused while laughing.

"You guys finally finished the game?"

They turned to see Yun-sensei approaching them. "Ah sensei," they greeted while nodding their heads.

"Who was that kid, sensei?" Kojima asked in a bored voice.

"You mean Shindo-kun?" Yun confirmed. "He was just asked by Tanaka-san to help him carry the go boards we have ordered."

"He's a little green, isn't he? Can you imagine, he told me to place a stone here? That was lame," Kojima laughed.

Yun surveyed the position of the stones. White was losing and the place where his student was pointing seemed like a bad move. But thinking deeply… he realized that it's not really a bad move. It can't be seen at first glance but that move seemed right the more he thought about it. He began to consider the possibilities, until he saw it. Considering white's position, it was the only move that he could do to revive what seemed to be a dead position. That boy just solved a complicated life and death problem!

He just couldn't believe it. It might be beginner's luck but if he had seen that path for the revival of the stones, it meant that he should be at an advanced amateur level at least, or even at insei level.

"Well, I don't think that was a bad move, Kojima-san," Yun said to his student.

"What?" Kojima and the other club members stared at their sensei in disbelief.

Yun just smiled at them. "Why don't you go over that move and analyze the reason behind it. I think you'll learn a lot from it. Try to think it as a tsumego and I'll explain to you tomorrow the solution and the brilliance of that boy's move."

The club members were left dumbfounded as they stared back at the board, wondering how their sensei could call such a move brilliant.

Yun, on the other hand walked off, his mind still on the mysterious boy. _'Shindo was his name, right?' _he thought. _'If that move was not a fluke, that boy has a lot of potential. Really, a lot…'_

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**Whew… finally finished this chapter. Sorry for the very late update… and hope you like this chapter. Thanks for all your reviews on the previous chapter. Please read and review.**_


	5. Chap 05 Meeting the Pros

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

"Damn it," Waya muttered in resignation as he threw the paper at Isumi. "If they couldn't figure out how these stones were placed, what made you think we could do it?" he complained at his friends while he stared in frustration at the stones patterned on the board.

Isumi sighed and leaned back in defeat, while the Honda Toshinori and Nase Asumi just looked at each other helplessly.

Ochi Kousuke, on the other hand, snorted. "No one expected you to figure it out."

Waya glared at him in response.

They had been in the same insei class, except for Nase who had just passed the pro examinations, they had all debut in the go world as pros. And weekly, they would meet every Monday for their own study group. Two weeks ago, the Go Weekly released the issue about the death of Fujiwara Honinbo which became a huge topic in the go world. His feats were replayed and discussed back and forth among the players, but the most intriguing part was the game that was told to be his last game against an unknown opponent.

It had caused an uproar, awe and admiration among the Fujiwara Honinbo fanatics, but criticisms among those who didn't believe that the game was real. Despite the former Honinbo's remarkable records, the scandal on the Kisei match had stained his reputation; not even the kidnapping of his daughter was able to completely erase that. Fact still remained that he lost the game on purpose. It created other rumors which involved his other games. Many had been sympathetic on his plight, but there were others who weren't that considerate. Some of the pros during that time had hated him, namely those who had envied his success, and couldn't get over their insecurity of not being able to defeat the great Honinbo title holder. His disappearance was a relief on them, his dominance over the go titles finally put into an end. It started a new era, giving the other pro players the chance to grab the remaining titles and created a new pool of famous players, the current Touya Meijin and Kuwabara Honinbo included, who had emerged from the shadow Fujiwara Sai had placed over the go world.

Now a game suddenly appeared and was claimed to belong to the legendary go player. It was something that not everyone will likely accept. True, the game showed a distinct trace of Fujiwara Honinbo's brilliance, but who can explain that both players seemed to have shown the genius of the Fujiwara Sai? The first time the game was published, many had spent time trying to recreate the game. A lot of discussions had been focused on the game but it was like trying to pry on the minds of two go masters. An unofficial kifu was published later, but there were still some arguments on how some of the stones were placed.

"Touya Meijin questioned the logic behind this move here. He said that it would be impossible for Fujiwara Honinbo to make such a move and that it's more possible that he made this move first," Isumi said as he pointed on the board.

"Well, he is the Meijin. His words would bear more bearing," Honda commented.

Ochi pushed his glasses up as he continued to gaze at the board. "Who could have been Fujiwara Honinbo's opponent?"

"Don't ask me," Waya grumbled sarcastically.

"You two always end up insulting each other," Nase sighed. "By the way, Fuku won't be able to come?" she asked.

"He has to catch up with some school work he missed during the pro exams," Honda replied.

"He almost made it but he lost to you during the final round," Isumi said to Nase.

"I know. I felt bad about it but then I also have to win in order to pass," Nase said sadly.

"Don't worry about Fuku. Leave him to us," Waya grinned. "Isumi and I are taking him on some go salons this weekend. Next year, he will be sure to pass."

"Tch," Ochi grunted. "With your help, I surely doubt that."

"You four-eyed brat!"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Hikaru, you're done with soccer practice? Let's go home together then," Fujisaki Akari said as she skipped towards the blond banged boy who had just emerged from the soccer club locker room.

"Yeah, I feel tired so I want to rest immediately," Hikaru groaned as he stretched his aching arms.

Akari laughed and tapped his arm making him wince in pain. He was about to yell at her when a voice from behind called his name.

"Shindo-kun."

They both turned and saw a tall Korean-looking man behind them. A spark of recognition immediately entered Hikaru's mind.

"Ah, you're Yun-sensei, aren't you? The coach of the go club?" he asked, trying to confirm his identity.

The teacher smiled. "I'm glad you remembered. Ah Shindo-kun, do you have a moment?"

A confused look crossed Hikaru's face but his curiosity on what the teacher want from him won over. "Uh… okay…" he agreed, then he paused. "Will it be long?" When he saw Yun nod, he turned to Akari. "Akari… sorry but can you go ahead? Sensei wants to talk to me."

"Oh sure…" Akari replied glancing from Hikaru to Yun-sensei, wondering what they would be talking about. She said her farewell and left.

"Shindo-kun, I'm just curious. Do you play go?" Yun asked, but he was already expecting a positive answer based on what had happened in the club room.

"Well, a little," Hikaru answered, scratching his head. "It's been a while since I last played."

"How about a game then?" Yun asked.

"Huh?" Hikaru blinked. Did he hear him right? "You want to play against me?" a brilliant smile then crossed his lips when his question was responded by an affirmative nod. "Sure! I mean… okay," he agreed, trying to suppress his enthusiasm.

Yun smiled and led the way towards the club room. When they entered the room, he gestured towards the seat across him which Hikaru happily accepted.

"Uh sensei, I'm not really good…" Hikaru tried to warn him in advance, so not to let him expect more from him.

Yun's eyes crinkled a bit with amusement as he opened the bowl nearest to him. "Let me be the judge of it," he said with a smile. "Why don't you go first?" The boy looked surprised.

"No handicaps?" Hikaru asked bewildered.

Yun just smiled. "I want to see your skills first." He then bowed to start the game. "Onegaishimasu."

"Onegaishimasu."

The game started and within just the first ten moves, Yun could already tell that his opponent indeed was no naïve amateur as he tried to convince him. Though only the opening, they were well placed, as if building a solid foundation for his territory. As the game progressed, Hikaru's brilliance easily showed. The boy had no trouble defending against his attacks but continued to calmly cut through his defenses.

Hikaru, on the other hand, was getting more and more confused as the game continued. He didn't know what to feel at the moment. He had expected to be trounced even at the start of the game considering that his opponent was the coach of Kaiou's prestigious go club, but surprisingly, he felt he was doing quite better against him. He was good, but he was different from Sai. He couldn't explain it. But one thing he knew, Sai was a much difficult opponent than Yun-sensei. Comparing them, playing against Sai was like going against a strong, thick wall that cannot be penetrated. He remembered going over his several games against Sai trying to find out his strengths and weaknesses that he could take advantage. The more he played against Sai, the more he became familiar with his go, that he could imagine what Sai would think given a certain situation.

Once when he was 10 years old, he had thought that Sai probably was the greatest go player ever lived. But Sai laughed when he told him that. Sai just shook his head and said that the go world outside is wide and there may be lots of go players far better than him. Sai ruffled his head and told him that someday, he might become a better go player than him.

As he grew up, he began to realize that he couldn't really judge Sai's ability since he hadn't played anyone except for his grandfather and Sai. Even though in his own opinion, Sai's skill was superior, fact still remains that Sai was just an ordinary aged man that he couldn't defeat. Well, he did once but it took him 10 years to accomplish it. After being trounced all those years had given him a sense of insecurity in terms of his abilities in go. Sai told him over and over again that he had improved, but all those losses just didn't help in building his confidence over his own abilities.

Maybe he was just in luck today, maybe Yun-sensei wasn't feeling well, maybe there was just one thing that could explain… why the hell was he winning against Kaiou's go club coach? He was so lost in his thoughts that it was too late for him to realize that he had just placed his stone in a very inappropriate place. His eyes widened when he saw what he had done. He tried desperately to save that territory but Yun was a strong player and the damage was too large to repair. The black stones died.

Hikaru groaned inwardly as he assessed his situation. His position looked grim. He didn't know if it was still possible to recover. But it was far from over. There were still lots of spaces left and if he played his cards right, maybe he could still change the outcome. He had to attack. He was down by several mokus already and defending only wouldn't help his situation. His sharp eyes scanned over the board, looking for any openings, countless plays and possibilities rapidly forming in his head. Reaching for the goke, his fingers tightened on the stone, and a resounding clack was heard as he connected the stone on the board.

The game had ended but both players remained silent after the customary "arigatou gozaimasu" at the end of the match. Hikaru couldn't help but feel disappointment at his loss. It felt like all his previous losses rebounding back on him, telling how crap of a go player he was. It was due to a mistake, but a loss was a loss no matter what the reason was.

Yun, on the other hand, was still trying to calm himself over the intensity of the just concluded match. He thought that after that dreadful mistake, there was no way the blond banged boy could rebound. But move after move slowly decreased the advantage he had. He couldn't explain how Shindo had done it but he just kept on pushing and pushing, that he was left on a desperate situation to defend his territory. It was pure luck that the game ended before Shindo had completely turned the tide against him but the game had left him shaken with disbelief at the strength and skill the boy had shown. But based on his observation, it seemed that the boy didn't have a clear idea on the extent of his skill. Having him on the club would be advantageous for his team… but then, this kind of skill was not something that should be stuck inside the walls of the go club. Even without Shindo, he was confident that the club would continue its winning legacy. On the other hand, Shindo wouldn't benefit from joining the club. Instead, he would be shunned from the club members who had already accepted the three top players who will represent the team on the tournament. After a little more thought, he finally made his decision.

Hikaru was a little nervous at the way Yun-sensei was looking at him. Was he disappointed at him? He had already said that he wasn't that good. But Yun-sensei still had given him a chance to show his skill… although he failed him. He looked up when the go club teacher finally spoke his name.

"Shindo-san… I don't think you should belong in the go club."

Hikaru's shoulders dropped. He knew it. He was a disappointment. Even though he made a great mistake, he thought he played well enough to merit even a dose of recognition from the coach. It turned out he wasn't good after all.

"Y-yeah… I guess I'm n-not good enough, eh?" Hikaru murmured dejectedly.

Yun-sensei tore a piece of paper and wrote something on it then gave it to Hikaru. "If you have time on Sunday, will you come to this address? I'll be there the whole day."

Hikaru accepted the piece of paper with confusion written all over his face. Yun smiled at his reaction. He was right. The boy doesn't have any confidence in his skill. Well, it would be more fun to let him discover that by himself.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"I heard from your mom that your friend will be coming over," Touya Kouyo said to his son.

They were in the tatami room where their go discussions were often held. Ogata had arrived much earlier, so he and Touya Kouyo began to discuss some games while waiting for the other members of the discussion group to arrive. He would have preferred to join as well, but then, Shindo was coming over for their project.

"A classmate," Akira corrected. He didn't consider Shindo as a friend, not with the way the other boy continued to bully him.

Ogata chuckled. "It's the first time I've heard that you've invited someone from your class here."

'_More like he invited himself,'_ Akira thought with disdain.

They heard the doorbell rang, and Akira's mom probably had answered the door. Akira immediately stood up and excused himself.

"Excuse me father, Ogata-san. That's probably him," Akira said before he left the room. Approaching the entrance, he heard his mother talking to someone.

"Ah, you must be Akira-san's classmate. Please come in."

The blond banged boy turned his head at him and beamed. "Yo Touya!"

"Shindo," he acknowledged. He then turned to his mother, "Mom, we'll just be in my room."

"Okay," Touya Akiko smiled. "I'll bring some refreshments later."

"Thanks, Touya-san," Shindo Hikaru said cheerfully before following him to his room.

"Shindo, I've scanned some of my reference books. We just need to summarize all the information related to Bangladesh," he said when they reached his room. He had already prepared the books that they will be using on his study table.

But Hikaru ignored him and let his eyes wander around the room. He walked towards the shelves and scanned the contents. Go books, go magazines, and more go books.

"You don't have a single manga," he commented in a deadpanned voice.

Akira sighed as he lifted his brows at him. "I think that's obvious. I don't read mangas"

Hikaru continued to let his gaze wander. "How can you live with only go books?" he exclaimed in awe. "You don't even have a play station. That's a crime! Every teenager, especially someone with money like you, deserves a play station!"

Akira ignored him and walked towards his desk and took the books he had prepared. He handed one to Hikaru.

"Rather than trying to figure out what more I lacked, I think it would be better if you help me summarize the information here," Akira said.

Hikaru accepted the book and began to scan it. "Geez, you mean we're going to type all of this?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Well, it's our project," Akira shrugged as he told him.

Hikaru sighed and dropped the book on the bed then walked towards his backpack. He took a CD and slammed it on top of the book Akira was reading.

"What's this?" Akira asked.

"Britannica, you idiot," Hikaru scoffed at him. "We can also search all the goddamn information we want in the internet. Copy, paste, print, then we're finished."

"You forgot the creativity part," Akira pointed out, trying to keep his patience in check.

"Draw a go board on the cover then," Hikaru said while he squatted and continued to check the shelves. "Geez, even your tastes are old fashioned," he commented as he took some of the records.

Akira snatched the CDs from him. "Those are my father's. I just forgot to return them," he said defensively.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah right."

"Can we please focus on our project so we'll finish early?" Akira said in exasperation. "We're supposed to have a go discussion today, and here I am stuck with you."

Hikaru flopped himself on a chair. "Thanks for being hospitable, man. Really appreciate it," he said sarcastically. Then he got up and shook his head. "Look, sorry for being sarcastic. But I think you should also stop that haughty attitude of yours."

"I'm not haughty," Akira argued.

"Yeah right," Hikaru scoffed. "No wonder no one in our class wants to go near you. You're so serious and you sometimes act like you are above everyone else."

"I'm not!" Akira's patience finally ran out. "And you're the one who keeps on making fun of me!"

Hikaru's brows shot up. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you… well, I guess I was teasing you a lot." Then his eyes widened in realization. "Hey, you think I'm bullying you?"

Akira gave him a doubtful look. "You aren't?"

Hikaru laughed out loud. "Loosen up a bit. I'm not the bully type." He walked towards Akira until he was standing in front of him. "Since we're going to be partners for a month, why don't we call it a truce?" he offered, holding out his hand to him.

Akira looked at him skeptically, but accepted his hand. Just then, a knock on the door was heard and his mother entered the room.

"I've brought you some juice and cookies," she smiled at them.

Hikaru immediately walked towards her and offered to carry the tray. "Thanks Touya-san," he said gaily. He placed the tray on the table and took a bite on one of the cookies. "Delicious. You must be good at baking. Sai would have loved this," he commented in which caused a giggle from Akira's mother.

Akira couldn't believe his mom giggled. But his ears pricked at the name that Shindo mentioned. His head snapped at him. "Sai?"

"Oh, my little bro," Hikaru grinned at him. "He's the greatest sweet tooth ever."

Hikaru turned his attention back to Akiko while Akira sighed. That name had gotten him agitated since last month. Of course Shindo would be referring to a different Sai. The Sai that Akira was looking up to, along with other go players, was dead, and only his memory and remarkable feats were left of him.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Damn, I'm tired," Hikaru complained as cocked his head, then got up. "Hey Touya, where's the bathroom?"

"Just go straight. It's the second door to the left," Akira said without looking up from the computer.

After Hikaru had relieved himself, he was about to go back to Akira's room when he saw the garden outside.

"I guess I'll just stretch out a bit," he murmured as he went out.

"Woah, the Touyas are sure rich," he whistled as he surveyed the area. Well, it was not like he was new to a place like this. Sai's house was just as large. Hikaru sighed at the thought. The lawyer told him that Sai had him prepare his last will wherein he will leave everything to Hikaru. But alas, Sai died before he can sign the document. Even if he was closest to Sai, he cannot be considered as an heir considering that he bore no blood relation to Sai. He didn't care about the money but he wanted the house at least because it had most of his childhood memories. He managed to keep all the personal things Sai had given him, including the antique go board that had been the witness to their friendship. But Sai didn't leave him without ensuring his future. He managed to set up a trust fund for Hikaru but he couldn't use it until he was 18.

He was still deep in his thoughts when he didn't notice the rake that was lying on his feet. It was too late for him to think as he tripped on the rake's handle and crashed against a pile of gardening tools.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Ichiryo-sensei's move here had sealed the fate of this game," Ashiwara said as he placed the last stone. "Kurata-san resigned after that."

"It was a good game as expected of Ichiryo-sensei," Ogata said.

Yes, Kurata failed to see the one move that could have saved his stones. Ogata looked at his sensei and he knew that he was thinking the same thing. He was about to say something when a loud crash was heard outside, along with a boy's cry of pain.

"What was that?" Ashiwara asked, looking outside towards the garden.

Touya Kouyo immediately stood up, followed by Ogata, and they walked outside only to see a blond banged boy sprawled against the scattered tools.

The boy groaned as he tried to lift himself up but his ankle looked twisted.

"Here, let us help," Kouyo said as he bent to help the boy. Ogata went to the boy's other side to help him stand up. The boy limped as they helped him walk towards the tatami room.

"Touya-sensei, is he okay?" Sasaki asked.

"I think he twisted his foot," Ogata replied.

"Yeah, I think so," Hikaru groaned as they helped him sit at the elevated portion of the room.

"Are you Akira's classmate?" Kouyo asked. "I'm Touya Kouyo, Akira's father."

Hikaru nodded. "I'm Shindo Hikaru," he said forcing a smile despite the pain.

"Ah! You're that Shindo!" Ashiwara exclaimed, remembering Akira's angry outburst about his classmate.

"You know him Ashiwara-san?" Ogata asked.

"Er… not really. But Akira-san had mentioned him…" Ashiwara explained uneasily.

"Really?" Hikaru asked, curious about what Touya had said about him.

"Ah…" Ashiwara laughed sheepishly. "He just mentioned in passing that you're his seatmate."

"Oh…" Hikaru glanced around and noticed the go board, and he realized that he must have intruded. "Gomen! Gomen!" he apologized in embarrassment as he bowed his head. "I must have disturbed your meeting."

"No, it's okay," Kouyo said.

Hikaru glanced again at the board. "Are you all pros?" he asked.

Kouyo nodded. He then introduced the occupants of the room while Hikaru stared at them in awe. "Please, just continue your meeting. The pain will go away in a little while," Hikaru said, then added sheepishly. "If it's about go, I'll just listen here."

The man in white suit chuckled. "By chance, do you know go, Shindo-kun?" he asked. He and Touya's father settled in front of the goban while the other two settled by the sides. Hikaru edged himself closer, so he was leaning just beside the white suit clad pro.

"Yeah… a little. I used to play with my grandfather and a friend," he answered.

"It would do well for Akira-kun to have a friend his age who knows how to play go," Sasaki encouraged.

Touya Kouyo just smiled gently at him and began to discuss the moves made on the game. Hikaru just sat there and listened, impressed at the older man's explanations behind the moves. He was looking at the board, and all other thoughts voiced down as his attention focused only on the board. Kouyo took out some stones and began explain some things. Hikaru figured out that those were the moves previously made. The game was almost even but when black made that move, the game slowly went to black's pace. White tried to counter but black's hold on his territory was so solid. However, there was one move that white could have made. It would have neutralized the white's position. Stones began to move as he envisioned everything that would have happened. He wasn't able to stop himself from whispering…

"14-9."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

'_It's 14-9,'_ Ogata concluded. That was the move that Kurata should have made to get back on the game. Touya Meijin had seen it too Kurata might have realized it too late, which explains the last moves he made, but it had already defeated its purpose. He looked at Sasaki and Ashiwara, and by the way they were staring at the board, he doubted that they had seen it.

"14-9…"

'_Whar the?!'_ He snapped his head towards the boy who had whispered the coordinates he was thinking about. The boy's eyes were focused on the board, his face in serious concentration… just like a go player.

His eyes widened as a possibility that the boy had accurately interpreted that life and death situation. _'Did he just…?!'_ he thought in disbelief.

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**Sorry for the late update. I just undergone a major surgical operation, removal of a cyst specifically, and was advised to rest. **_

_**Anyway, thanks for all your reviews! Hope you like this chapter... please read & review! :D**_

Starlit: Yeah, I realized I made a mistake there. Thanks. I'll just make some updates on the first chapter regarding that.

Shikatachi: the life and death problem presented in the go club wasn't supposed to be that complicated, that's why even Yun-sensei was able to see it. I just made it seem that Shindo's skill is in an advance level compared to the go club members, but not enough to give a conclusion that he's already in a pro level. Hope that explains it. :D

AD: Okay, I inserted my answer to your question in the story. hehehe

Thanks everyone!


	6. Chap 06 Game of Enlightenment

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 6 - Game of Enlightenment  
**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

Ogata's eyes widened at the possibility that the boy had accurately interpreted that life and death situation. _'Did he just say 14-9?'_ he thought in disbelief. Did he really hear the boy say that move? But that was impossible. Didn't he just say he knew little about go? His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the boy.

Hikaru, on the other hand, felt the stare from the white suit clad pro sitting beside him. He felt uncomfortable at the scrutiny. He slightly turned his head and caught the man's dark eyes looking at him like he was trying to read his mind.

Unable to fully disregard the nagging feeling in him, Ogata pushed his glasses back and started to open the topic. "Shindo…"

Hikaru shifted uncomfortably but lifted his brows in inquiry. "Yes?"

"Did you just say…?"

The door suddenly opened and Akira's head popped from outside. "Uhm… sorry for the disturbance but I was wondering if…?" he stopped when his eyes caught sight of the bleached banged boy grinning sheepishly while poking his head from behind Ogata and waving his hand at him. He was just trying his luck to see if Shindo lost his way and managed to drop by the tatami room but actually seeing him inside the room with his father and the other pros, Akira wasn't able to hide his surprise.

"Shindo!" his voice came out a little louder than his usual. He went inside the room and confronted his irresponsible classmate. "What are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Hikaru winced then pointed at his injured foot. "I tripped outside and your father helped me." He then flexed his foot as if testing if it was still in pain. "But I guess it's okay now," he said attempting to stand.

"I think you still need help." Touya Kouyo immediately stood up to help while Ogata Seiji seemed to be at lost, a blank look in him while staring at blonde banged boy.

"Oh…" Akira flushed at his outburst and also hurried to help him stand.

"It seems better now. Thanks for all your help," Hikaru said while bowing his head, holding Akira's shoulder for support.

Touya Kouyo just smiled. "It's okay Shindo-kun. I'm glad that you're getting along with Akira."

"Oh… right." Hikaru just laughed, scratching his head. "I've also learned a lot today. You pros are really good. Arigatou Touya-san."

Akira's brow shot up. _ 'Did he really understand anything while listening to the group discussion?'_ he wondered. He turned to his father. "Whose kifu are you discussing, father?"

"The game between Ichiryu-sensei and Kurata-san," Kouyo answered.

Akira nodded. "I'll check on it later." He felt a little disappointed that Shindo was able to attend that discussion while he was busy typing their project. How ironic! He was about to leave with Hikaru when Ashiwara's voice stopped him.

"Ah, Akira-kun," Ashiwara called as he hurriedly took a magazine from his bag. "I was waiting for you to arrive before I show this to everyone. There's an article in this sports magazine about Fujiwara Honinbo's last game." He opened the magazine, and five pairs of eyes stared at the bold letters of the title.

_**Last Game of Great Go Master, a Faux?**_

"I thought all of you might be interested. It was an interview made with Takamura-sensei, you know the retired Kisei title holder," Ashiwara explained. Then he glanced uncomfortably at the stunned faces of the people in the room.

The deafening silence was broken when the bleached banged boy nudged Akira. "Fujiwara Honinbo?" Hikaru asked curiously. "Hey, I also have a friend named Fujiwara but I doubt they know each other. He doesn't have any relatives."

Akira and the others seemed to have woken from their stupor. Akira stared longingly at the magazine, wanting at that very moment to grab it from Ashiwara's hand and satisfy his curiosity. He sighed regrettably and unconsciously tightened his hold on Hikaru's arm.

"Ashiwara-san, can I borrow that later? We just need to return to our project," Akira said. After seeing Ashiwara nod, he then turned to Hikaru. "Shindo, let's go."

The four remaining occupants just stared silently as Akira helped the Hikaru towards the door. They could still hear their faint voices while walking away.

"Really, it no longer hurts. By the way, I think I've heard that name before… Honinbo, huh?"

"…"

"It's a weird name, don't you think?"

"…"

"Oi, Touya…"

"Shindo… shut up!"

After the door was closed, three pairs of eyes then turned to the youngest member of the group.

"Now Ashiwara-kun, I wonder why you didn't show it to us beforehand?" Sasaki asked.

Ashiwara scratched his head. "I honestly forgot. I only remembered it when Akira-kun arrived since we were talking about Fujiwara Honinbo yesterday." He glanced at the magazine on his hand. "Most of the details were based on the interview with Takamura-sensei." He winced slightly recalling what he had read. "This article might cause uproar with Fujiwara Honinbo's supporters."

"Takamura-sensei had always been biased against Fujiwara Sai," Kouyo sighed as he settled himself back in front of the goban. "He's still bitter over his losses. Don't you think so, Ogata-san?" When no response came, Kouyo turned to his student who was still looking at the direction of the door. "Ogata-san?"

Ogata looked up to his sensei.

"Is there any problem?" Kouyo asked.

"No, nothing," Ogata shook his head. "I'm just wondering if Shindo-kun really learned something or he was just being polite."

Ashiwara laughed. "I think it's the latter. I'm sure an amateur like him won't be able to keep up with the discussion. Well, even I couldn't keep sometimes with what Touya-sensei was saying."

The other occupants laughed. Ogata just smiled. Ashiwara's explanation seemed plausible but some part of his mind wanted to contradict. He then saw his sensei reached for the magazine and began to scan its contents. He and Sasaki leaned towards the meijin to share the article.

"That bastard," Ogata cursed after reading the article. "Does he really have to bring up the scandal? Fujiwara Sai is already dead! And who cares about his opinion? He's just some guy who couldn't get over his insecurity on Fujiwara Honinbo. So he thinks that the game was simulated?"

"The Weekly Go must have refused to publish the interview with him so he turned to a different sports magazine," Sasaki commented.

Kouyo sighed. Takamura Ryuuji had been one of the best go players of his time, but that was before Fujiwara Sai appeared. He was the holder of 3 titles, including Kisei. Though a good player, he was extremely arrogant and too proud of himself. But during the Shodan series, he was completely trashed by the 12 year old Fujiwara Sai. He had never forgiven Fujiwara after that. He would always grab any opportunity to insult the young pro but Fujiwara chose to ignore him. Fujiwara had already chosen his goal and worked hard to achieve it. He wanted the Honinbo title, and that was all he had aimed during his early years as a pro. Many thought that it was because Fujiwara had admitted to idolize Shusaku Honinbo. Years passed and the pro world had witnessed Fujiwara's rapid growth. His skill continued to improve. He wasn't afraid to make unusual and seemingly experimental moves, even if it meant his loss. He was 23 and had defended the Honinbo title 4 times already, but failed to acquire other titles, when Takamura publicly insulted him and told him that he was only good for the Honinbo throne. Fujiwara Sai seemed to have snapped, and began targeting all of Takamura's titles. Within a span of 3 years, Fujiwara Sai had stripped Takamura of all his titles. What was worse was that Takamura had never won against Fujiwara even once. During his early to mid twenties, Fujiwara wasn't completely unbeatable so there were times he lost one or two of his titles, but would win another one. However, he was undefeatable when defending the Honinbo throne. The last five years of his life as a pro had been his peak. His winning streaks were so unbelievable that it was surprising if anyone won against him. Takamura only managed to win back his titles after Fujiwara Sai had disappeared. He managed to earn back his earlier prestige but Fujiwara Sai had forever tainted his records. After years of holding the Kisei title, he retired from the pro world after he reasoned that his heart ailment caused him to lose his title to a younger player.

"Sensei, do you think that the game was a hoax? That it was created by some fans of Fujiwara Honinbo in order to reestablish his legacy?" Sasaki asked.

'_A hoax?'_ Kouyo thought. He wondered at that. Fujiwara Sai disappeared for more than 2 decades and it was a mere coincidence that a reporter from the Weekly Go managed to find out about his death. If the game was set up by his avid supporters, there would have been collaboration between the reporter and that fan. Another theory was that Fujiwara Sai played both players; he was studying go, trying to counter his own moves, and someone managed to find the kifu. Kouyo shook his head. It was impossible to play a game like that by himself. Only an equal opponent, someone who knew Fujiwara's game well, could have produced such a game. He believed what they had originally perceived. Fujiwara Sai had a disciple to whom he had passed forth his knowledge in go.

Turning the page to where the game was shown, Kouyo shook his head. "I have played with Fujiwara-sensei and I know his game. I believe what my intuition tells me. This match was real."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Hikaru looked up from the paper to the building in front of him and wondered if he was at the right place. He had been around Tokyo for more than a month only so there were still a lot of places that were unfamiliar to him.

'_A go salon?'_ he wondered as he scratched his head. He didn't know if it was coincidence, but he felt he was being exposed more to go now than when he was still with Sai. Before, the only people whom he could talk about go were his grandfather and Sai. None of his friends play go. But now, there's a go club in his school, he's classmates with a go professional, and he even managed to meet some other pros. He smiled as he thought of the discussion led by Touya's father. Compared to Sai… he winced as he remembered Sai's childishness despite his old age. The only time he would feel Sai's menacing aura was when he was playing go seriously. He wished he could attend that type of discussion again, but when he tried to open the topic with Touya, the other boy scowled at him.

He shrugged his shoulders at the thought of his classmate and proceeded to look for the place that Yun-sensei told him. He was lucky that his ankle did not swell; else, he wouldn't be able to meet with Yun-sensei. He opened the door to the salon and stopped. _'T-they're not Japanese,'_ he thought in surprise. _'Geez, what am I doing here? Can they even understand Japanese?'_

The male receptionist noticed his entrance and smiled at him and asked, "Do you want to play?"

Hikaru sighed in relief and smiled back. "Ah, so you speak Japanese?"

The receptionist chuckled. "Of course." He seemed to have realized immediately that the boy was not Korean.

Hikaru scratched his head. "Ano… I'm looking for my sensei…"

"Shindo-kun."

Hikaru turned and saw Yun-sensei approaching him. His teacher talked to the receptionist in Korean, and paid the fee. He let his eyes wander at the place and felt awe at the some of the people who were seated playing go.

He turned to Yun and whispered. "Uhm… Sensei, why are we here?"

"Have you ever been to a go salon before, Shindo-kun?" Yun asked, slightly amused.

"Well… no," Hikaru grinned sheepishly. "I told you I've only played with my grandpa and my friend."

Yun led him towards a table where a match between two of the patrons was being played. "For amateurs like us, this is one place where you can grow," Yun explained. "You seem to have the potential, Shindo-kun, and it would be better if you get exposed to different kinds of go players."

Hikaru flushed at the praise. Sai oftentimes praised his games, but hearing it from another person was more flattering. "Really? I have potential?" he asked eagerly as he followed his teacher. The game was near the end, and when it was finished, one of the men stood up and left.

"Ah… Yoo-min, this is my student Shindo Hikaru I've told you about," Yun introduced Hikaru to the man seated in front of the goban. "I'm trying to get him more experience in go salons."

"Konnichiwa," Hikaru bowed his head.

"Yun told me you're quite good," Yoo-min crackled. "Have a seat, young man, and let's see what you've got."

"Shindo-kun…" Yun called. When the boy turned a questioning glance at him, he smiled. "Yoo-min's game is quite unconventional."

Hikaru didn't understand what his teacher meant. But he nodded his head at the advice and took his seat.

"Onegaishimasu."

Hikaru was quite nervous at the start of the game. Yoo-min was more fierce-looking compared to Yun-sensei and often makes some grunting noises while playing that it distracted him. And honestly, he was having quite a difficult time compared to his game with the go club coach. Though he could determine that Sai was better than Yun-sensei, the teacher's moves still made sense that he could read what his next move would be. But this geezer Yoo-min was making many moves that he couldn't figure out. There were times wherein he would stare at a move Yoo-min made for several minutes trying to read and determine his opponent's plan. He lost a lot of time due to that.

"I resign," Yoo-min bowed.

Hikaru let out a sigh of relief. It was quite tough trying to adjust to the old man's game, but somehow, he managed. Yoo-min's style of play was completely different from Sai. But as the match continued, he realized that many of his moves were aimed to distract him. Some of the moves that he had spent so much time trying to figure out were bluff attacks.

"So what can you say about the game?" Yun asked. He knew that Hikaru was strong, but somehow, he passed beyond his expectations. His game was a little off at the start but he was able to adjust well towards the end.

"I-it w-was interesting," Hikaru said in awe.

After several hours, Hikaru managed to play two more men and won over them. He had a difficult time trying to adjust to the other players' styles but nevertheless, the solid foundation of his stones always managed to defend against attacks made by his opponents. He had just finished his last game and was receiving congratulatory remarks from the other patrons when a teenager entered the salon.

When the patrons saw him, they quickly approached the boy and began talking to him in Korean. _'He seems popular here,'_ Hikaru thought.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Ah Hon, I just heard that you made it into 2-dan."

"That was a month ago, idiot."

Hon Suyon hid a smile as he accepted the greetings with a nod. He had been here before on a vacation prior to his entrance to the pro world and had met some of the patrons of his uncle's go salon. They had supported him and wished him luck before he had left to take the pro exams. Now, after two years, he came back to visit his aunt who got sick, at the same time, got reunited with his old friends. They were quite enthusiastic when he arrived especially with the results of the Hokuto Cup last May wherein Korea had an overwhelming victory over China and Japan.

"You're going back to Korea tomorrow?"

"Yes," he answered. "I just dropped by to say goodbye. I have a match the day after tomorrow so I really need to return."

"Is that so? We hope you could have stayed longer. When will you be coming back to visit?"

"Oh… will there be another Hokuto Cup next year?"

Suyon shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. Japan lost quite big on that tournament. Except for Touya Akira, the other players were overshadowed."

"Ah yes, Touya Akira is indeed getting a lot of attention these days. He already entered into some of the leagues."

Despite Touya's loss to his teammate Ko Yongha, that game had been incredible. Suyon knew that if it was him who had faced the Japanese go prodigy, he would have lost. Among the Japanese players, only Touya had made an impression to the visiting players.

"Speaking of young Japanese, that boy over there is quite good," one of the men pointed at the blond banged boy. "I saw his game with Yoo-min and Chung-san. He defeated them quite easily." They saw the boy stood up and seemed like preparing to leave.

"I saw it too. Chung-san didn't stand a chance."

Suyon glanced at the boy. There was nothing much to notice on his getup except that he was the type he wouldn't imagine to be a go player. "Is he a pro or an insei?" he asked curiously.

"I don't think so. I think he's a member of Yun's school go club."

'_Then he's not someone to waste time over,'_ Suyon thought, then shrugged. "Only Touya Akira seemed to be a worthy opponent among the younger Japanese. But then, he still lost to Yongha."

The boy with blond bangs was within hearing distance when he made that comment. The boy paused and looked at his direction. Apparently, he heard what Suyon said. The older man beside him also paused and turned to the boy.

"Shindo-kun?"

The boy narrowed his green eyes. "Did you say something about Touya Akira?" he asked, directing the question to Suyon.

Suyon, who couldn't understand Japanese, just gave him a blank stare. One of the patrons translated what the boy said in Korean.

He smirked as he stared at the bleached haired teen. "Are you a fan of Touya? I just said that he was beaten by Ko Yongha."

Hikaru frowned. He didn't like the way this arrogant boy was talking. Not only that, he seemed to be talking against a friend of his. When the question was translated, he turned a puzzled look to Yun.

"Sensei, who's Ko Yongha?" he asked, oblivious to the surprised look some of the customers gave him. Ko Yongha became really popular even with the Japanese go enthusiasts after the Hokuto Cup. It was surprising that this boy didn't have any idea on him.

"He's the Korean pro who had defeated Touya-kun during the Hokuto Cup," Yun answered.

"Oh…" Hikaru nodded in understanding. "There are pros in Korea too?" he asked innocently.

"Shindo…!" Yun slapped his forehead in frustration. He knew in an instant that that comment won't be taken easily by most of the people in the room. The atmosphere changed and everyone inside the salon was glaring daggers at him. Suyon and the other customers had reacted angrily over what he said.

Hikaru subconsciously stepped back. _ 'Did I say anything wrong? Why do they look angry?'_ he wondered.

"I'm sorry. He didn't mean that," Yun stepped forward and bowed, trying to apologize. "He isn't that well knowledgeable with the pro world." Then he turned to the confused boy. "Shindo-kun, I think we should leave now."

Hikaru scratched his head. "Well, I really know very little about the go world." Then he grinned and added. "But I know some pros. I'm even friends with Touya Akira."

"Really?" Suyon drawled sarcastically. _'Touya's friend, huh?'_ If he was playing constantly with Touya Akira, he might be a little skilled. "Touya must have taught you. How about a game?" he asked as he pulled out the nearest chair and sat in front of the go board.

One of the customers laughed and patted Hikaru's shoulder. "Boy, feel privileged. Suyon's asking you for a game."

"A game?" Hikaru hesitated as he glanced at his sensei. He saw Yun shook his head. He glanced back at the Korean boy who was giving him a challenging look. Judging by the reactions of the people inside the salon, it was most probable that the boy was definitely strong. He was about to decline when Suyon made another comment.

"Getting scared? You want me to prove how inferior you Japanese compared to us?" Hon challenged while twirling his cap, taunting the Japanese boy. His challenge was immediately translated by one of the customers.

Hikaru's ears perked up at the insult. It didn't help that the other customers were adding more fuel to the fire.

"Hon, you should take it easy on him."

"How many handicaps do you want, boy?"

Hikaru gritted his teeth, when one of the patrons asked him how many handicaps he wanted. His pride was pricked. It had been several years since he was given a handicap on a game. He was not going to have one against this arrogant boy.

"I don't need a handicap," Hikaru responded angrily, his pride taking over his common sense. He pulled out the opposing chair and faced the Korean boy. "Nigiri!" he said addressing to Suyon.

As soon as he had sat down, he immediately regretted his decision. But he won't back down from a challenge. His opponent seemed confident of his skills. But he was getting a hang from his earlier winnings that he just wished that by any stroke of luck he would also win this match.

Though it started roughly with the two players, the game progressed quite impressively. The salon patrons had surrounded them and watched the game with surprised interest. They had expected Hon Suyon to play well. He's a pro after all, and had even won against one of the top young pros of Japan during the Hokuto Cup. But for the other boy to play well against him was totally unexpected. Even Yun-sensei was surprised at the rate the game was turning. He knew that Shindo was good, but he didn't expect his skill could rival a pro.

Hon Suyon bit his finger while staring at the go board. The game looked even but he had this feeling that his black was on the disadvantage. _'He's good…'_ he thought. He looked up to his opponent, whose serious expression was completely focused on the game. _'Is he a pro?' _ He shook his head at the thought. _'But if he is, he should have been the one sent at the Hokuto Cup. He's clearly better compared to that four-eyed kid Ochi. But why isn't he a pro?' _His eyes narrowed as he stared at his opponent. "Oi…"

Hikaru lifted his head to look at his opponent.

"Tell me your name."

He was quite taken aback at the demand. Though the boy seemed younger than him, he was a little intimidating. "S-shindo. Shindo Hikaru," he managed to reply.

"Shindo Hikaru," Suyon repeated. "I'll remember that."

The game continued fiercely. At the near end of the middle game, Suyon began to feel his opponent's strength overwhelming him. He didn't know what happened, but it must be that he underestimated his opponent at the start of the game. The start had progressed at his advantage, but slowly, it seemed that Shindo managed to collect himself and his game rapidly improved. He began to make some unusual moves that he first thought to be mistakes, but slowly turned the tide of the game to his favor. His own moves became desperate as he tried to ward off Shindo's attacks. It was no use for Seichi because he already knew the result.

The next words that came out of his mouth were a bare whisper. But it was clear to all who had witnessed the game, even to his opponent who couldn't understand the words in spoke in Korean.

"I resign."

Those words had brought Hikaru out of his own stupor and made him realize that he won the game. His hands trembled as he tried to digest everything that happened. He won. And even with his limited number of opponents, he knew just how strong the boy in front of him was.

"A-arigatou gozaimasu…" he whispered back, stealing a glance at his opponent. Suyon's head was bent, but he could see tears rolling down his face. Hikaru panicked and jumped from his chair.

Uncomfortable silence surrounded the whole room. Hikaru glanced around, only to see the rest of the customers staring back at him. He no longer knew if it was anger or disbelief.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" he blurted out, then dashed out of the salon. He didn't know why he apologized. He didn't know why he needed to run away. He didn't know why he ignored Yun-sensei calling after him. But he just felt that there was something wrong with him. There was something wrong with his game… or his opponents' games. There was something odd with the way he played. Like he never knew his own self, or his own game.

He continued to run but when he turned on the corner, still confused and troubled. He didn't care that his foot that he had injured the day before was getting a little heavy. He didn't care if he was beginning to feel the pain. He just needed to get away from that place. He just turned around the corner when he bumped into another boy, causing them both to fall on their butts.

"Hey, watch it!" a boy with messy brown hair yelled at him.

"Waya, are you okay?" a taller boy with dark hair asked as he tried to help his friend up.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" the boy named Waya, asked in a sarcastic voice.

Another boy, much younger than the other two, helped Hikaru to get up on his feet. "Waya-kun, you're so loud," he said, then he turned to Hikaru. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Hikaru replied as he stood up. "Thanks."

The boy turned a worried look at him. "Are you in trouble? You're running like you're being chased by someone."

Green eyes blinked as if trying to digest the boy's questions. Hikaru scratched his head. _'Yeah… why am I running away? I ran away because I won? I won…'_ Now that he was out of the salon, away from all the stares that he received after the game, he began to feel the gratifying sensation of being able to play such a great match and emerging as the winner.

"I won," he whispered, but more to himself.

"Huh?" the three boys stared back at him in bewilderment.

A dazed Hikaru glanced back at them, a slow smile forming on his lips. "I can't believe it… I won…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Waya asked, obviously annoyed.

Hikaru grinned as he smacked the boy's shoulder. "Sorry for bumping into you," he said turned to leave. "Got to go, guys!" he yelled before running away.

"What's wrong with him?" Isumi asked as they stared at his retreating back.

"Weirdo," Waya muttered.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

While waiting for his train stop, Hikaru couldn't help but remember what Sai had told him before. And for the first time, he finally began to acknowledge it…

'_I think Sai's right… maybe I'm stronger than I thought…'_

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

**_I finally finished this… Sorry for any mistake & grammatical error. I'm looking for a beta reader… anyone interested? Maybe you could also help me with Lost Memories… haha… 'coz I really don't know how to continue it._**

**_Anyway, thanks for your patience for this chapter. Hope it still meets your expectations._**

**_Thanks for all your reviews!_**

_Vorpal: Yes, I thought of it that way too, that Hikaru would first be overly confused when playing other people. But then I also thought that if he's good at go, as long as his opponent's move makes sense, he would be able to adopt. And Sai would have played with him using different hands. Thanks for the advice._

_Vuurvlieg: Though Hikaru managed to defeat Sai, that doesn't mean he's already on par with Sai. His foundation is already strong, but he still needs exposure to more games. And thanks for telling me the spelling of 'Ichiryu.'_

_ViperineVampire: Hikaru lost against Yun-sensei because of inattention and he misplaced a stone. Just think of Hikaru's (or Sai's) first game with Kaga. D_

_ Kai: Yun-sensei is Korean. Remember the episode where Akira first joined Kaiou's go club? Yun said that he used to teach go in Korea before he transferred to Japan. And the go salon where Hikaru and Hon Suyon first met (Yun witnessed the game) was also Korean._

_Lollifire: Experienced at go? Haha. I completely sucked at go. I'm better at chess._

_Baka-at-work: I have more time now, but my mom doesn't want me to spend most of my time in front of my laptop. _

_Xioshe: Sorry, I completely missed that out. But I remember one time I tripped, I just rested my foot and the pain was gone after a few hours. Err.. I don't know if that convinced you. Haha._

* * *


	7. Chap 07 The Mystery Called Shindo Hikaru

**The Go Within **

**Chapter 7 - The Mystery Called Shindo Hikaru  
**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

It was Monday morning and Akira was surprised to see Hikaru in school at such an early hour. Not only that, he was not his normal hyper and loud mouthed self instead he was currently slumped on his desk, as if he had just undergone a very difficult task and had exhausted all of his energy.

"It's quite surprising to see you with your mouth shut," Akira couldn't help commenting as he settled on his seat.

Hikaru lifted his head towards his seatmate, his eyes drooped sleepily. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, like he wasn't able to sleep the whole night. "Huh? You said something?" he yawned.

"Don't bother," Akira sighed as he opened his bag and prepared his things for the first subject that morning.

The bleach-haired boy groaned as he held his head in his palms, fighting the dizziness due to lack of sleep. After that confusing yet victorious match, Hikaru couldn't help but wonder if he was really stronger than he thought. After he had arrived home, he went directly towards his room and laid down on his bed looking up the ceiling. He tried to remember his time with his grandfather and Sai. Playing go had always been a nightly routine for the three of them. Since Sai started teaching him, he had been playing go almost every day of his life. Sai was a demanding opponent, whining and clinging every time Hikaru tried to refuse a match. Well, who would want to play when you know you will lose anyway? But then, he really couldn't refuse the old man, although sometimes, Sai would abuse his ability to use emotional blackmail. Even one game per night was enough to satisfy Sai's craving for a match though. But despite everything, Hikaru had enjoyed his friendship with him. Hikaru loved his Jichan, but he would say that he was definitely closer to Sai than to his own grandfather. His Jichan had other friends while Sai had no one but him; he felt so strongly about this that it had developed into something like a feeling of responsibility in him to ensure Sai's happiness. Sai was his best friend despite their huge age difference. He filled the hole that his father left. He was his elder brother, his tutor, his mentor, guiding him while he was growing up.

All those games he had played against Sai and his Jichan had made him realize the difference between the two in terms of ability. During the first few years, he really couldn't differentiate. Both were too strong for him but as the years passed, he was already winning against his Jichan, but still, he couldn't bring Sai into yose. Sai was just too strong for him. Sometimes during his free time, he had to replay their games over and over again in his mind to see if he could find Sai's weakness. Now that he thought of it, he began to wonder just how strong Sai was. Even their last game where he won, he still couldn't feel that he was already stronger than Sai. He just managed to break Sai's defence because he was already so familiar with his mentor's plays that he could read what Sai's next move would be. He couldn't help but feel a little regret that he had never bothered to inquire about Sai's past. But then, if it would bring more pain to Sai to remember it, he would rather remain ignorant and just live with what Sai could offer.

Sai's strength had bothered him a bit and made him wonder on his own strength. The games that he had played told him that he wasn't weak like he had originally thought. It was just that Sai was much stronger than him, which explained was why he kept on losing. He began to wish that he could play with more people so that he could really assess his own strength. As if answering his prayers, he turned his head and noticed the laptop on his desk. It made him remember the internet game that he had played when Akari and him went to an internet café. He quickly got up and turned on his laptop and searched for the internet go website. After not much thought, he registered himself using a name he got from one of his favourite mangas and began to search for opponents. He had felt a little disheartened when he lost his first game. The player named 'Ichiryo' was really strong but he had won the rest of his games. He got too absorbed with playing that he forgot the time. Before he realized it, he had already played until morning. He was surprised as just as he finished his last game; his alarm clock rang which meant he should be preparing to go to school. Usually he would extend his sleep a little after the alarm, but that morning he decided to prepare to go to school early and catch his sleep there.

Now, sleep was definitely catching up on him, he didn't know if he could survive the rest of the day without falling asleep in class. Opening his eyes, he saw Touya Akira scanning through a piece of paper. _ 'Damn! Math homework!'_

Hikaru stretched out and scratched his unruly hair before turning to Akira. "Hey, can I borrow your homework?"

Dark brows rose at that. "Why? You didn't answer yours?"

'_Touya is really such a prick,'_ Hikaru thought then waved his hand in denial. "I did. I just want to check if we have the same answer."

Akira looked at him suspiciously, but handed his homework to his seatmate anyway. Hikaru took out his own homework and scanned through Akira's, then started copying his answers.

"I thought you said you did your homework," Akira said, glaring at him.

Yawning again, Hikaru ignored his glare and continued writing. "I did. I just wasn't able to finish it. Besides, your answers look much better than mine."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"What's wrong with Shindo?" Taki asked as he approached Hino, one of Shindo Hikaru's closest friends and teammate in soccer.

"Dunno," Hino replied. "I was surprised he came earlier than me. But he was asleep when I arrived so I wasn't able to talk to him."

Glancing back at the bleach-banged boy, Taki saw him talking to Touya Akira. "Shindo and Touya seemed to be getting along, huh?" he commented.

Hino shrugged and leaned against his seat. "They're partners for the project and Shindo mentioned that they started working on it last Saturday. So they must have bonded a bit."

Just then, their conversation was disrupted by a pair of loud voices.

"You idiot! You asked me last weekend to tutor you this! Weren't you listening when I was explaining this?!"

"I can't help it if you're a lousy teacher!"

"Lousy? You were the one who said 'I get it' six times and you call me lousy?"

"How bored were you that you counted that? And I did not say it six times!"

"You did!"

"Did not!"

"You did! And don't ask me to help you again!"

"Well, fine! It's not like you're the only one who could help me. Yo, Akari!"

Taki sighed as he settled on his seat. "I guess they're still not getting along, huh?"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

It had been four days since he last saw Yun-sensei. He didn't know why. Maybe he wasn't ready to face him after that event last Sunday. Or maybe he was just plain embarrassed at having run off without a word to his teacher. For the four nights that he had been playing in the internet, he had come to realize the extent of his ability and slowly tried to accustom himself towards the playing styles of different people. But still he couldn't help but wonder why Yun-sensei would tell him not to join the go club and then tell him that he had a potential in go and even bring him to play with older players. It just didn't make any sense.

After the club practice, Hikaru found himself standing in front of the Go Club room. He slowly opened the door and saw Yun-sensei fixing some of his things on the table. As if sensing the presence of another person inside the room, Yun turned and saw the bleach-haired boy standing quietly by the door.

A smile crossed Yun's face as he nodded his head towards the boy. "Shindo-kun."

Hikaru hesitated at first, but then spoke as he realized that he just needed to clear things up. "Yun-sensei… about what happened…" He bowed his head and apologized. "I'm really sorry for leaving suddenly."

"Is that the only reason you're here, Shindo-kun? To apologize?" Yun asked, not looking at him, as he continued to place his books back on the shelves. "After the long break you took, I thought there would be more to it."

"Yun-sensei…"

Turning a glance at the boy, Yun walked towards the nearest empty table and offered the other seat towards Hikaru. "Can I have another game with you, Shindo-kun?"

The bleach-haired boy nodded in silence and took the seat across him. "Yun-sensei…"

"I think I know why you're here," Yun started as he took the bowl nearest to him.

"S-sensei…" Hikaru started. "W-why…? I mean… I don't understand what's happening. When I played against you for the first time, you said I don't deserve to be in the go club. Then you asked me to play against some people in the go salon. Then… I won." His voice was filled with wonder as he looked up to his teacher. "Sensei… I told you before that I always lose, right?"

Yun nodded as they nigiri. "Was that the reason why you thought poorly of your skills?"

"I don't know. It's just I could never win against Sai before," Hikaru replied, taking the bowl with black stones.

"Sai?"

"He's my friend who introduced me to go. He was also my guardian for the last four years," Hikaru explained. Then he chuckled when he remembered something. "He was so obsessed with go that he would whine at me for game every night."

"He must be a remarkable player and teacher."

"He was," Hikaru immediately answered as he placed another stone on the board. "As a player I mean." He couldn't help but wince a little. "As a teacher, I'm not sure. He just crushed me in every game. But he was really great guy and he loved go more than anything."

They just continued to play while Hikaru talked about playing against Sai and his grandfather. He didn't know why he opened up to Yun-sensei. Maybe it was because he was the first one to make him realize his own strength. And it felt good talking about Sai and his Jichan. He really couldn't open up with his parents, since none of them play go. And as if sensing Hikaru's need to talk, to let his feelings out, Yun-sensei didn't probe but just listened quietly, occasionally giving comments. Hikaru even talked about the games he played in the internet, his loss on the first game and the rest that he had won.

"Arimasen," Yun said as he bowed his head to acknowledge his defeat.

Hikaru's eyes widened as he stared at the board. "I won," he whispered. He looked up to Yun and saw him smiling.

"This is your strength, Shindo Hikaru," Yun told him. "The reason why I said you shouldn't be in the Go Club is that you are much stronger than any of my students here. I think you should aim higher. Be an insei or a pro."

"A pro," Hikaru whispered in disbelief. "Like Touya?"

Yun chuckled at his words. "Yes, like Touya Akira, although Touya-kun is already on a different level. But with hard work and more experience, may be you could even surpass him."

Hikaru grinned at the thought of having Touya think of him as a rival. He could already see wrinkles forming on his seatmate's head. He stood up and said his thanks to the Go Club moderator. "Arigatou, sensei. I'm flattered that you think I'm that strong. But honestly, I don't think I'm ready for that." He placed his hands over his head and smiled. "Although I think Sai would have loved that…"

At that, Hikaru left while Yun stared at the closed door. Somehow, he felt like he had missed something important. He just couldn't figure out what.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Hikaru felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't realize how bothered he had been until that talk with Yun-sensei. He was so relieved and excited that when he turned around the corner, he almost collided with someone.

"Oh sorry," he apologized, then lifted his head, only to be surprised to see the boy in front of him. "Oh Touya. I thought you were not supposed to be in school. Didn't you have a match today?" he asked his classmate. Akira used to be excused every Wednesday, but his matches seemed to have moved every Thursday.

"I dropped by Ishina-sensei's office to submit my homework for tomorrow. I'm leaving for Kansai for another game," Akira explained politely.

Hikaru grinned. "Wow, lucky you. I wish I could skip school like that also."

That earned him a glare from the go pro. "I'm not skipping school."

"Whatever."

"I will be coming back on Saturday evening so I'm afraid we won't be able to work on our project," Akira continued.

Hikaru looked at him and also remembered that he had a previous engagement on Saturday. "It seems I can't also. Our team have a practice game on Saturday."

A sigh escaped Akira's lips as he thought of his schedule. "And I have a Go Event to attend on Sunday."

"Woah, what busy schedule," Hikaru exclaimed, then scratched his nape. "Actually my parents won't be home on Sunday so I have to babysit my brother. Oh well, I guess I won't see you this weekend. Maybe I'll stay over at your house the week after so we could finish everything."

"Stay over?" Akira didn't like the sound of it, but it seemed they had no choice if they can't work on it this weekend. Although they would try to meet up after class to work on it, both of them were also busy with their own stuff.

"Yeah. Just ask your mom if it's okay," Hikaru said as he walked a step ahead, then stopped when he remembered something. "Hey Touya! After we finish our project, have a game with me."

Akira turned his head with a confused expression on his face. "Huh? What game?"

The bleach-haired boy just laughed. "Go, what else?"

Akira just looked at him weirdly. He couldn't help it. He was used to either to the intimidated or challenging glares his opponents would give him. Shindo, on the other hand, challenged him like they were going to play video game match.

"I just want to know how I fare against a professional like you. If I win, you'll come with us the next time we go to the karaoke bar," Hikaru grinned as he turned to leave. It was highly unlikely for him to win against a go pro, but maybe luck would allow him to see the usual poker-faced Touya Akira with a microphone in hand. "Ja, Touya!"

Akira was left looking at his retreating back. He sighed and just shook his head in disbelief.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Takamura-sensei had gone too far this time," Amano sighed as he closed the magazine and placed it on top of his desk. "I shouldn't have initiated that interview with him. He got angry that the management decided not to publish our interview with him regarding Fujiwara Honinbo."

Across his table, Ogata Judan lowered his cigarette towards the ashtray. "So he gave the story to another sports magazine and exaggerated on his opinions of Fujiwara Sai. Tch, what a troublesome guy."

Amano shook his head. "Not all of what was written there was exaggerated. You were still young back then so you were not able to fully grasp the whole story. Fujiwara Honinbo might be thoroughly respected due to his feats, but many go professional players hated him. He had stung the pride of many of the older pros and had greatly intimidated the younger ones."

Ogata leaned back against his seat, still unconvinced. "I still couldn't understand why Takamura-sensei, or the other pros would hate him that much. Touya-sensei had won five titles at one point too, but such reactions were not given to him."

"Touya-sensei won only five titles, and he did it when he was in his late forties. Fujiwara Sai won all seven titles and he was only on his late _twenties_," Amano explained. "Don't you know how hard it was for so many older pros to accept it? Holding one or two titles in their twenties isn't unusual. But to be able to win all of them is totally unheard of. Many pros had worked almost their whole life trying to achieve what Fujiwara Sai managed to accomplish within a few years." Amano sighed as he glanced at the Weekly Go paper which had featured the death of the legendary Honinbo. "Fujiwara Sai was a genius in the truest sense of the word. Many called him the reincarnation of Shusaku Honinbo, and I have to admit, the title befits him. It's a pity many pros chose to let envy rule their minds instead of appreciating such a talent."

"Not all pros thought that way though. Touya-sensei has high regards for Fujiwara Sai," Ogata commented.

Amano smiled. "Touya-sensei was younger than Fujiwara Honinbo. When Touya-sensei entered the world of pros, Fujiwara Sai was already gaining widespread reputation as a formidable go player. Touya-sensei had been chasing after Fujiwara Sai until the end."

Ogata chuckled as he stood up. "I wish I was able to meet him. It would have been a great experience to play a game against him. I've seen many of his kifus and I wonder if I could ever reach his level." He bowed his head and excused himself to leave. "It was nice chatting with you, Amano-san. I'll take my leave now," he said as he walked towards the door. He came to the Weekly Go office to pick up the kifus that he had requested from Amano-san, and while being there, he took advantage of the time to ask the go journalist if he was aware of the article that Ashiwara had shown them.

'_Shindo Hikaru…'_ Thinking of the article that Ashiwara showed also made him remember the bleach-banged boy. He had to admit that he was surprised when the boy said that he knew how to play go. He didn't look like the type to sit in front of the goban for long, much less to engage in the battle of strategy and wits that go offers. His physique was more of someone who engaged in physical sports rather than an intellectual game like go. But then, he said he only knew a little, and 'a little' was something that Ogata had expected of him. But how could that boy have thought of that move? It might be coincidence, but he looked like he really studied the board and somehow found the hand that not even the other pros noticed. He would have asked the boy right there if not for Akira's and Ashiwara's bad timing. He had hoped to confront him the coming weekend, only to learn that Akira will be out of town.

He never liked mysteries, never liked the feeling of being left in the dark. That was why in a go match, he preferred to be acquainted with his opponents style, to know what to expect with an upcoming match. And if something intrigued him, he would do anything to get into the bottom of it, until his curiosity was satisfied.

He glanced at the envelope he was holding which contained the kifus he requested from Amano-san. He was about to open it when a loud voice surprised him and caused him to drop the envelope.

"Hah! He was just lucky he won over me during our last match!"

Ogata just shook his head and sighed as he bent down to pick up his package. He knew that loud voice and he wasn't surprised to see the large build of Kurata on one of the seats.

"Next time, he'll be known as Korea's Kurata Atsushi! And Team Japan will win the next Hokuto Cup!"

Ogata straightened up and decided to open the envelope at home. His next match against Serizawa 9-dan would be on a week from now. He had enough time to study his opponent's games. He walked towards the door to leave.

"Touya-kun is doing well in the leagues, so Ko Yongha should prepare the next time they face. If Yashiro-kun and Ochi-kun will be chosen again, they will be much stronger than before," Kurata continued rambling on the phone. "An Teson said… WHAT?!" His loud exclamation caused Ogata to pause from opening the door. Ogata couldn't help but turn a disapproving look towards the fat pro's direction.

"Hon Suyon lost to a Japanese boy?!"

'_Hon Suyon?'_ Ogata thought. _'The youngest pro in the Korean team?'_ Though he wasn't able to attend the Hokuto Cup, he had heard from Akira everything that had happened. And as far as he remembered, all members of the Japanese Team lost to the Koreans, although Akira's game managed to save the pride of the Japanese given the tough fight he had against Ko Yongha. And he knew that Hon Suyon managed to win all of his games during the tournament.

"Shindo Hikaru?"

The name caused Ogata's eyes to widen as he stared dumbstruck at Kurata. _ 'Did he just say Shindo Hikaru? Akira's classmate?'_

"No, I don't think I've heard that name before. Are you sure about that? That idiot An Teson might just be making things up. And why would he tell you anyway?" Kurata continued. "So he's making you gather information through me? Ha! An insei? I'm not sure about that but if there's an insei with such extraordinary skill, then we might have heard of him." He paused again as he listened to the other line. "Hmm… that's interesting. I'll ask Shinoda-sensei if he has a student named Shindo Hikaru." He then laughed, smacking the table loudly. "Hon Suyon wants a rematch, eh? Well, if I can find the boy, that will definitely happen."

Ogata dropped his hand from the doorknob and watched as Kurata said his goodbye to the person on the other end of the line. Kurata must have sensed his presence and turned to look at him.

"Ah, Ogata-san. I didn't know you're here."

As he reached the other pro, Ogata leaned back against the wall and focused his attention on Kurata. "I couldn't help but overhear your phone conversation."

"Ah, that was Yang Hai. You know, the Chinese manager during the Hokuto Cup."

Ogata pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm more interested with a name you mentioned – Shindo Hikaru, wasn't it?"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Sai, stop playing with my hair," Hikaru scolded his little brother who currently found his shoulder a comfortable place to sit at. He could almost see Sai's pouting face as he wrapped his little hands around his head.

"You're mean, Onii-chan," the little boy complained.

'_Now, I'm being mean?'_ Hikaru sighed inwardly. He knew that tone of voice. His brother wanted something. "Alright, what do you want Sai?" he finally gave in.

The boy giggled and pulled his hair making him turn to his right, an ice cream parlor visible in his eyes.

"Not ice cream Sai," Hikaru groaned loudly. "You're going to drip on my head."

"No, I won't," Sasuke insisted, pulling his hair yet again. "I'll cover your head with my towel."

He was about to refuse again when something caught his attention. Just across the street was a huge board with a picture definitely related to go. An idea came to him and a smirk crossed his lips as he turned towards the ice cream parlour.

"Alright, we'll have ice cream," he said which earned an excited cheer from Sasuke. "But you're not going to complain later if I'll take you to a place filled with go, okay?"

"Go?" Sasuke repeated, his excitement diminishing. "Aren't we going back to the arcade?"

"We've already been there," Hikaru replied. "Now, you want ice cream or not?"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Sasuke was busy licking on his ice cream while Hikaru continued to drag him from one booth to another.

'_Wow, if only Sai could see this,'_ he mused, scanning the place from left to right. It was the first time he had seen so many go related things. There were lots of people around, but as he had expected, most were old geezers. _ 'Well, go is really for old folks,'_ he winced at the thought. He could almost hear Sai scolding him, saying that go is an intellectual game. It was just that young people nowadays prefer physical sports rather a game that could develop their brains.

"Yeah, a friend of mine showed me that article too. Fujiwara Honinbo isn't exactly that popular among his fellow pros, huh?"

Hikaru turned at the voice, having heard a familiar name. Two older men were talking about a man named Fujiwara Honinbo. Hikaru couldn't help but remember the reactions of the pros in Touya's home. They were also talking about the same person.

"It said that his other wins might also be questionable," the man said.

"Isn't he already dead? Why bother digging the past?" his companion asked. "I think it wouldn't change the fact that Fujiwara Honinbo was a great player during his time."

"Entering the pro world can be a little complicated, huh?" A chuckle was heard from the man. "Money is involved in every game. So you couldn't help the intrigue. Being a pro is just a prestige. I would rather prefer a nice game in a go salon."

His companion laughed. "Just admit it. You're only bitter with not passing the pro exams before."

"Shut up!"

'_Fujiwara Honinbo, huh?'_ Hikaru thought as he watched the two walk away. He wondered why he sympathized with a man he didn't even know. Maybe because he had the same surname as Sai? _'Is the pro world really that cruel?'_ Hikaru just shook his head and shrugged.

"Onii-chan, you also have that at home, right?"

He turned towards the direction Sasuke was pointing and saw go boards on sale. He dragged his little brother towards the booth and was surprised when he saw the amount displayed on the boards.

'_This is 80,000 yen?'_ he gasped at the price. He looked at another board and it was priced at 250,000 yen. _'Woah! I never thought this stuff is so expensive,'_ he thought. The tag read 'Real Kaya' while the other one was 'New Kaya.' _'I wonder how much Sai's board is worth,'_ he wondered. _'He said it was an antique one and was previously owned by a famous go player. Wow… that means it's worth…' _His musings was interrupted by a cry of outrage.

"You kid! You're messing with my boards!"

Hikaru cursed himself for forgetting about his brother and quickly dashed towards Sasuke who had sat on one of the gobans. He lifted his brother up and profusely apologized for Sasuke's sake. It was lucky that the ice cream Sasuke was holding only dripped on the floor and not on the boards; else he didn't know where he was going to get the money to pay for such expensive items. In his haste to get away, he bumped into another person.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

'_Damn! I'm having such rotten luck today!'_ Hikaru grumbled silently. He bowed his head in apology, when that loud voice yelled again.

"I know you! You're that crazy guy who bumped into me last week!"

Hikaru lifted his head and furrowed his brows at the young teen with messy brown hair wearing formal clothes, complete with a tie, blazer, and corsage on his left chest. _ 'What's up with him? Is he gonna attend a wedding or something?'_ he thought, not realizing that he managed to murmur it loud enough for the other boy to hear.

A large tick formed on the boy's forehead. "You little….!"

"Waya!"

Both boys turned and saw a tall dark-haired guy coming towards them.

"Isumi-san."

'_Whoa! Another guy who's also dressed up.' _ It was strange for him to see some guys his age dressed up at such a casual affair as this one. The messy haired boy was wearing a pair of dark green slacks and blazer, while the other one was wearing a blue pair.

"Waya, where have you been? Morishita-sensei was looking all over for you," the older boy named Isumi said. He then cast a glance at the other boy with blond bangs and a spark of recognition dawned on him. "I think I saw you before…"

"You two are dressed weird," Hikaru couldn't help commenting. "What's the occasion?"

Waya Yoshitaka couldn't take it anymore and grabbed Hikaru's collar to yell at him. "This is a Go Event, you idiot! And we're pros so we're supposed to be dressed this way!"

"Shindo?"

The three turned towards the newcomer. Waya and Isumi were surprised to see Touya Akira with a shocked expression on his face.

"Touya!" Hikaru felt relieved at seeing someone familiar. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

The two other pros were shocked when the boy locked Touya Akira into a headlock and ruffled his immaculately neat bob-cut hair. They couldn't believe the familiarity the bleach-haired boy was showing towards the aloof and intimidating young pro.

"Cut it out Shindo!" Akira hissed at him, still trying to compose himself while detaching himself from his annoying classmate.

"Hey, is that the way you greet a…" Hikaru's voice stopped when he noticed what Akira was wearing. "Eh? You're also dressed like them?" he asked, pointing to the two pros that were rooted to the ground.

"What are you talking about Shindo?" Akira asked in a calm voice, trying to keep his irritation away. "We're required to dress appropriately since we're the pros in-charge of this event."

"Hmm… is that so?" Hikaru commented; then a sly grin formed on his lips. "But that doesn't explain why you need to dress up in a pink suit. Geez Touya, you really have a knack for girlish things." That statement made the other two boys choke; the brown-haired one turned his head away to cover his laughter.

"Shindo!" Akira could no longer hold his irritation. He then immediately regretted it when he saw some people looking at their direction. He glared at his classmate and hissed, "I'm not wearing pink!"

"You're not?" Hikaru bent his head to scrutinize his seatmate's suit. "It looks pink to me. Well, maybe a little lavender, but it's still a girlish colour."

The boy named Waya was no longer hiding his laughter. He went towards Hikaru and smacked his shoulder, "Boy, I think I'm going to like you."

"Waya!" his friend exclaimed.

By now, Akira's face was red as a tomato with fury. He no longer cared if there are other people looking at him or that he had a reputation to protect. He just wanted to wring Shindo's neck…

"What's going on here?'

The four boys turned at the voice.

"O-ogata sensei!" Isumi and Waya bowed in respect.

"Ogata-san," Akira nodded as he acknowledged the arrival of his sempai.

"Oh, it's you," Hikaru said which earned a look of disapproval from the other pros at such disrespect. "Konnichiwa. You might have forgotten me but I'm Shindo Hikaru, Touya's classmate," Hikaru introduced himself politely.

Three pairs of eyebrows rose up as they stared at the composed and polite form of the boy who just a second ago was a disrespectful and blunt brat.

A slow smile curved on Ogata's lips as he pushed his glasses up. "Of course I remember you, _Shindo Hikaru_."

Hikaru wondered at the slight emphasis on his name. _'This guy sure is creepy.'_ But his next question stopped him.

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was babysitting my brother…" His grin faded when he realized something. "Oh shit! Where's Sai?!" he exclaimed, looking around. He gripped his hair in panic when he noticed that his baby brother was no longer in sight. "Mom is going to kill me!" He then dashed away, leaving without another word.

"Sai?" Ogata asked, his curiosity perked up.

"His little brother," Akira muttered back, still irritated over what happened.

"I see," Ogata managed to reply, holding his chin as if deep in thought.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

On a far corner, a large built man sat alone on one of the tables, obviously enjoying his privacy. It wasn't that Kurata Atsushi was a loner or something. For one, Kurata loved compliments and admiration that his fans showered upon him. He enjoyed signing autographs more than anything, aside from the sheer pleasure of winning a match against the old geezers of the pro world. But if there was one thing that could take him away from his fans… it was his empty stomach.

He had been lecturing since morning and giving lessons during his spare time and his stomach was already grumbling on having eaten so little that day. The smell of the freshly baked cookies that one of his fans had given him made his stomach growl even louder. Now, that he managed to escape from the swarms of people, he spent no time in opening his bento. It was specially prepared by his mother for this special occasion, knowing that such go events could be even more tiring than any title match. He had just finished his large serving of sushi and onigiri and was opening his dessert - two large slices of chocolate cake and a bagful of chocolate chip cookies that were making his mouth water.

He had already finished a portion of the cake and the cookies when he noticed a pair of dark lavender eyes lurking just beside his table. He turned to stare back at the small boy who was watching him with open mouth, drool coming out from the side of his mouth.

Amused, he took one cookie and handed it towards the boy. "You want, kid?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically and reached for the cookie. Kurata laughed and ruffled his blue black hair. "What's your name?"

"Shindo Sasuke," the boy replied as he munched on the cookie.

Kurata laughed and turned his attention back to his food, not minding that the little boy had settled himself comfortably beside him. It seemed like the boy wanted more. He just shrugged and pushed the bag of cookies near the boy's reach. A little sharing wouldn't hurt, right?

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Hikaru was already panicking. _ 'Damn! Where is he?! Mom's gonna have my head if something happens to him!' _ He continued searching for Sasuke, asking people if they managed to see a six year old boy walking alone.

Finally, he managed to find one answer. "Ah, I think I saw him walking off in that direction."

Hikaru rushed towards that direction. There were few people on this side and he just hoped that he would be immediately noticed by other people. After a few turns, he saw Sasuke… calmly eating with a fat man.

"Sai!" he exclaimed rushing towards his younger brother.

The little boy looked up from the table, his mouth with icing on its sides. "Nwi-chan!"

"You little squirt! I was going crazy looking for you!" he panted as he reached the table.

"This fat mister gave me cookies and cake!" Sasuke chirped happily.

Hikaru inwardly winced, embarrassed at his brother's words. "Sai! That's rude! He's not fat. He's…"_ '…chubby?'_ He scratched his head while turning towards the man. "I'm really sorry for this…"

The fat man looked none too pleased as he stared at the remains of snacks. "I gave him food, and he calls me fat mister?"

Hikaru bowed again, wondering how many times he had already bowed in apology because of Sasuke. "I'm really sorry."

The fat man seemed to have recovered his jolly mood and waved his hand indismissal. "Nah, it's okay. He's just a little kid." He then looked at the small boy. "You call him Sai? I thought his name is Sasuke?"

Hikaru ruffled his brother's head affectionately. "I gave him the nickname Sai because he reminds me of someone really close to me." He then turned towards the guy and bowed. "Thank you again… uhm… sorry, I don't know your name."

"Eh?! You don't know me?" the man looked at him, quite surprised.

Green eyes just blinked at him in confusion. "Er… Am I supposed to know you?"

"Kurata! My name is Kurata Atsushi! The future Honinbo, Kisei, and Meijin! You don't know me?"

'_What is he talking about?'_ Hikaru scratched his head. _'Well, he introduced himself…'_ "I'm Shindo Hikaru." He extended his hand for a handshake. But his hand was left in midair as the man just continued to look at him.

"Shindo Hikaru, huh?" Kurata's eyes then widened in recognition. "Ah! You're the one who defeated Hon Suyon!"

"Hon Suyon?" Hikaru repeated with a blank face. "Who's that?"

Kurata's mouth dropped. "The Korean pro! Ko Yongha's teammate during the Hokuto Cup!"

Now, Hikaru was confused as ever. "Ko Yongha? Hokuto Cup? I'm sorry but I really don't know what you're talking about."

Kurata stared at him for a long moment. "Do you play go?"

Hikaru nodded quite uncertainly.

"And you don't know me?"

"Ah… well…"

"Onii-chan plays go," Sasuke interrupted, pointing at the goban on the table. "He has something like that at home."

Kurata had forgotten about his plan to recreate some games while he was eating. He rubbed his chin as he continued to stare at the bleach-haired boy. "You're interesting. You didn't know you defeated Hon Suyon, huh?" he chuckled at the confused look on the boy's face. Maybe, An Teson was referring to a different Shindo Hikaru. But intuition told him that he was staring at the real one. And for Kurata, intuition always has the last say. He sat back on his seat and gestured towards the other seat. "How about a game, Shindo-kun?"

"Huh?" Hikaru looked at the fat man and the board. _'A game?'_ He glanced at Sasuke who was still eating the remaining cookies. _'Well, a game wouldn't hurt,'_ he shrugged.

He took his seat and opened the bowl nearest to him, only to be surprised when both of them had the same white stones.

"Oh, I must have taken the wrong bowl," Kurata said. "But anyway, let's proceed."

"What?!" Hikaru protested. "But we can't play with this!"

Kurata smiled. "Oh, so this is the first time you've played one-colour go?"

"One-colour go?"

Kurata pointed at the bowl Hikaru was holding. "Those are black stones. And since this is your first time, you'll start first and we'll do away with the komi. Now onegaishimasu," he bowed.

"These are black stones?" Hikaru still wondered while looking at his white stones.

"Oi, onegashimasu," Kurata reminded him.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

As white stones began to fill the surface of the board, Kurata looked up at his opponent and wondered. _'I thought this is the first time he played one-colour go. But he's holding well even against me.' _ He scanned his eyes across the board, reading through the position of his stones behind the sea of white stones. _'He's tough. He doesn't give any openings for attacks. Just as I thought, he's the one Yang Hai was talking about. With this much ability, no wonder why Hon Suyon lost to him. I need to talk to him after this game.' _

Kurata's eyes widened when the boy placed a stone that threatened his left territory. He felt sweat rolling on the side of his face as he clenched his teeth. _ 'I didn't expect that,'_ he thought, lifting a stone to counter that move.

He let a chuckle out and said, "You're really taking this seriously, aren't you?" But the boy didn't respond, instead his eyes were sharp and focused only on the board. _'He can't hear me?'_ Kurata wondered. _'What deep concentration he has.' _He turned his attention back to the board and considered his situation seriously. _'It looks even but reading ahead, he seems to have the advantage,'_ he thought, biting his thumb. _'Damn, I can't lose here!'_

Just then, the boy made a move that made his eyes widened. _'A mistake!'_ He took advantage of that blunder and made his attack. He lifted his eyes and knew that his opponent realized it too. He saw the boy's face twitched, like berating himself for overlooking such play. Shindo tried to rectify his mistake by forcing attacks but it was too late to save his territory. Kurata let out a sigh of relief but caught himself. _'Damn it! This boy is not even a pro or an insei!' _ He clenched his fists as realization dawned on him. _ 'Who is this boy? His strength is already comparable to Touya Akira!' _ He looked back at the board and blinked. _ 'Eh? Oh crap… I can't remember the position of the stones!'_

"Onii-chan…"

Both players ignored the small voice as they focused their full attention on the board. Kurata's eyes scanned in panic across the scattered stones. _ 'That one should be black… and this… damn it!' _ He lifted a stone, but was still hesitant to make his move when a loud voice interrupted them.

"ONII-CHAN!!"

Hikaru jumped from his seat in surprise and turned towards his brother who already had a teary expression. The small boy had his arms around his stomach as if in pain.

"O-onii-chan," his voice quivered. "I h-have t-to p-poo…"

"What?!" Hikaru exclaimed, panicking. "No, hold it! Damn! Why here?!" He rushed from his seat and lifted the boy. He then turned to Kurata. "Sorry, I resign on our game. I'm losing anyway. That mistake I made was really huge." Sasuke squirmed in his arms and made him panic again. "Don't you dare, Sai! Hold it! Damn!"

Kurata only managed to look at the boy's back as he ran carrying his little brother. _'Good thing I'm an only child,'_ he thought. _'Does he even know where the bathroom is?'_ He looked back at the board and sighed. He didn't know if he should be relieved or not that the game was interrupted. That boy was really something and An Teson was right to be concerned about Hon Suyon's loss. Then he winced as he scratched his head when he realized one thing. He wasn't able to have his talk with Shindo Hikaru.

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**Another chapter up! It's my attempt on humour. I hope it had entertained you a bit.**_

**_I would like to thank all those who had volunteered to be my beta. Sorry if I wasn't able to give a reply immediately. I've already chosen a beta, but I still truly appreciate your offers.  
_**

**_Beboots, BLG, knighted lioness, lonelyreverance, oldman543, Basic Imperfection, Leafdrop, DeathGodGirl, Lapis, Dath Sindarin, Ao yuki, Strawberry Clover_**

_**Thanks to Israfel for editing this chapter and for your suggestion on adding more to Ogata's thoughts.**_

**_This chapter is dedicated to my sister. Belated Happy Birthday Coree!! This is your gift! Haha! Mwah!_**

**_Thanks to all who reviewed! Please read & review!_**


	8. Chap 08 An Unexpected Rival

**The Go Within **

**Chapter 8 – An Unexpected Rival**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

'_Where could he be?'_ Ogata Seiji continued to walk while scanning his eyes around the area, looking for a glimpse of the boy with blond bangs.

He had been scheduled for a game lecture earlier that afternoon; else he would have followed Shindo Hikaru when he ran off. Hours had already passed since he saw him that morning and he could only hope that the boy had not left yet. He couldn't let this chance to talk to him go to waste.

After that talk with Kurata, learning that the Korean pro Hon Suyon had been defeated by a boy named Shindo Hikaru, made him think that his suspicion on the boy was right. That ingenious move that the boy had mumbled wasn't just a mere coincidence or a fluke. The boy knows how to play go. As for his level, that has yet to be determined. Though having defeated a pro was enough to prove he was more than he wanted others to know. Ogata just had to wonder if he had any special reason for lying about his ability.

"Ah Ogata-san. Your lecture must have ended, huh?"

Ogata's musings ended as he turned to face a brown-haired man just around his age, a confident smirk plastered on his face.

"Takamura," he acknowledged with a deadpanned voice.

"Such a cold greeting," the man chuckled. "It's been a while since we last met. Don't tell me you're still bitter over the loss of your Gosei title to me, huh?"

Ogata's expression remained devoid of any emotion, except for the tightly clenched fist inside his pocket. Takamura Hayate 9-dan, two years his junior, the current holder of the Gosei title, and the former Kisei holder Takamura Ryuuji's youngest son, and for his own opinion – a pain in the ass. Not only he was younger than Ogata, he also started late as a pro. He finished his high school abroad before he joined the Pro Exams and started his career as a pro. It sort of irritated him that Hayate managed to grab a title in a shorter amount of time compared to him. Not only that, Hayate won his first title against Ogata and never failed to spit it in his face. It may not have been said directly, but it still meant the same thing.

Ignoring the sarcasm, he simply raised his brows and shrugged his shoulders. "It was my loss but I don't feel bitter towards it. I'll just have to challenge you to retrieve it," Ogata replied easily.

Hayate laughed as he walked closer and tapped his hand on Ogata's shoulder. "Direct as always Ogata-san. Too bad I'm not going to just hand it over to you."

"Everyone says that," Ogata remarked as he removed the hand from his shoulder and reached for his shirt pocket. A dose of nicotine would clear his head and allow him to tolerate Takamura's grating presence. "By the way, your father is making headlines," he mentioned, trying to divert the topic.

A questioning glance was first directed towards him; then Hayate nodded his head in understanding. "Ah, you're referring to Fujiwara Honinbo's case?"

"Up to date with the current news, huh?" Ogata remarked sarcastically as he let out a smoke. "It seems Takamura-sensei couldn't get over his hostility towards Fujiwara Honinbo, even when the latter is already dead."

Hayate just shrugged off the slight accusation. "My father's business is his own." He slid his hands in his pockets and stared at some groups of elderly men playing go. "Unlike father, I admired Fujiwara Honinbo. His accomplishments were something that every go player would dream of. It would have been great to have a game with him. Too bad, he didn't leave any disciple that could have continued his legacy in go." His eyes then returned back to Ogata. "But I have no use for a dead person. Fujiwara Honinbo's reign in the go world already ended decades ago. I only have eyes for the future."

'_Arrogant bastard,'_ Ogata thought disdainfully, although he had to admit, the bastard had a point.

"I'll be challenging Touya Meijin for the Tengen title." Hayate gave a dramatic sigh. "This will be a tough one. Touya-sensei just won't let go of his other titles. Sometimes, I think he was just a little lax against you since you were his student."

Ogata gritted his teeth, somehow knowing that the conversation would lead to another one of Takamura's insulting remarks.

"But then, if I can't beat him, I'll just have to go for a lesser title for now," Hayate continued, turning his mocking eyes on Ogata. "Like Judan, for example."

Anger had taken over his self-control and he would have taken a step forward to grab Hayate by his collar when a loud voice boomed.

"Ogata-san!"

They both turned to see the large build of Kurata walking towards them.

"I finally found you. I've been looking everywhere for you," Kurata tried to catch his breath. When he straightened, he noticed Hayate beside Ogata. "Oh, Takamura-san. You're here too?"

"I just had a chat with Ogata-san here," Hayate smiled easily, and gave him a pat on the shoulder as he brushed past the blond pro. "Nice talking with you Ogata-san. See you."

"I didn't know you're good friends with Takamura Gosei," Kurata commented, his eyes following the pro's back.

Gaining back his control, Ogata managed to bite back a growl. "I'm not friends with him," he simply said, then let out a deep breath and turned his attention to the fat pro. "By the way, you're looking for me?"

"Ah, yes." Kurata seemed to finally remember his purpose for seeking out Ogata Seiji. "I met Shindo Hikaru today."

Instead of being surprised, Ogata found himself pleased with the news. "You did?" If Kurata managed to meet him today, then there was no doubt that the Shindo Hikaru he knew was the same one Kurata had mentioned before.

Kurata nodded, his usual cheery face turned serious. "I've played with him. He's the real thing."

"How good is he?" Ogata asked.

"Hmm…" Kurata scratched his head. "Considering we were playing one-colour go, I really couldn't judge his real strength. But for sure, he's good enough to become a pro. Most likely, he's already above that of a lower dan pro."

'_Interesting…'_ Ogata thought. "Kurata-san, what does he look like? Does he have blond bangs?"

Kurata gave him a weird look but nevertheless answered his question. "Well… he does." He suddenly stopped when he realized something. "Wait! You know him?"

"I have some ideas," Ogata immediately answered and continued to prod. "What did you talk about?"

Kurata rubbed his chin. "I wasn't really able to talk to him. There was an emergency with his brother Sasuke."

That comment didn't escape Ogata's sharp ears. "Sasuke? I thought his brother is named Sai?"

"Oh. He calls his brother Sai because he reminds him of someone," Kurata answered, then paused when he seemed to realize something. "Wah!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Ogata. "So you really know him!"

Ogata shrugged off his accusation. "I've already met him but I didn't know about his go talent. That's why I was curious when I overheard you mentioning his name."

"Is that so?" Kurata murmured, reluctantly accepting his explanation. "Ah, but how did you meet him? He's not a pro and I've confirmed with Shinoda-sensei that he doesn't have a Shindo Hikaru among his students." He kept on mumbling incoherent things, as if analyzing the situation, then suddenly snapped his fingers and grinned at Ogata. "Aha! He must be Touya-sensei's new student, isn't he?"

A sigh escaped Ogata's lips. Once Kurata is in his hyper mood, there will be no end to this discussion. And as far as he was concerned, he had already gotten what he wanted.

"I think you need to get back to the lecture. You have another scheduled, don't you? Your fans would probably want an autograph session before the lecture starts," Ogata reminded him, knowing full well that Kurata's weakness was his love for signing autographs.

"Oh, I forgot about that," Kurata scolded himself, then grinned at the other pro. "Thanks for reminding me, Ogata-san." Then, he hurried away.

'_He was so easy,'_ Ogata thought. _'If only he was as easily tricked like that in an actual match.' _He started walking away, still deep in thought over his conversation with Kurata. _'He nicknamed his brother Sai because he reminded him of someone close to him?'_ A smile crossed his lips as he took his phone and dialled a number. "Amano-san, can you set me a meeting with that reporter who found Fujiwara Sai's grave. Yes, possibly tomorrow."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Yamato Kenta couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in his seat as he subjected himself to the scrutiny of one of the most respected go players of the current time. Ogata Seiji had held two titles – Judan and Gosei, before losing the latter to Takamura Hayato last year. But then, it couldn't be denied that he was one of the most promising go players of his generation, the talented ones who were expected to overthrow the older generation in the near future, particularly Kuwabara Honinbo and his own sensei Touya Mejin. Kenta had always loved go, though his talent was not enough for him to become a pro or even just an insei. So he had settled himself on being a go journalist. He had prided himself on his ability to gather information which became useful when he took this job as a staff writer of Weekly Go. And through his job, he had the opportunity to meet many of the go professionals whom he had idolized. But that didn't change the fact that many of the pros have eccentric personalities that can be difficult to handle. Touya Meijin was one of the easiest ones to handle since he took everything seriously and answered questions to the point. Kuwabara Honinbo, on the other hand, was a creepy one. He often gave answers with double meanings. Ichiryo-sensei and Kurata-sensei just loved to talk, so much so that sometimes much of what they said was no longer relevant to his questions, and could be confusing at times. Takamura Hayate seemed to take his questions lightly and treat it as a joke. And Ogata Judan spoke too little and preferred to stare people into intimidation.

But the case was different now. He was the one being questioned, not the other way around. When Ogata Judan requested this meeting, he already had an idea what this would be all about. He had to admit that stumbling upon Fujiwara Honinbo's grave was a big break for him. He became almost a celebrity in the go world overnight. Pros all over had called him to confirm the story. But then intrigue also began, accusing him of conspiring with Fujiwara Honinbo fanatics to present the so-called last game of Fujiwara Honinbo. But truth was, he never said that it was Fujiwara Honinbo's game. He only said that he saw the game in front of the go master's grave. Everybody just assumed, well, including himself. Ogata Judan, who happened to be with Amano-san during his call, was one of the first to know about his discovery. Thus, he was probably one of those who had spread the news even before it was published in the Weekly Go.

But no matter what they would ask him, it won't change the fact that he really found the game on the late Honinbo's grave, and he didn't have any idea who the opponent was. He snapped back from his thoughts when he heard Ogata's question.

"You mentioned before that Fujiwara Honinbo was in contact with some people including a grandson of his friend."

Kenta had to suppress a sigh. "Y-yes, b-but the old lady that I've talked to couldn't remember their names."

"How about his neighbours?" the Judan continued.

Kenta scratched his nape. _'What is he getting at?'_ "They don't know anything about Fujiwara Honinbo. He had secluded himself from everyone."

"Uhm… Ogata-sensei," Amano interjected. "I think we have asked this before. I don't think we can find Fujiwara Sai's opponent this way. The only person who would probably know is Fujiwara-san's lawyer."

Ogata's eyes narrowed. Were they able to investigate that far? "You've talked to him?"

Kenta shook his head. "We already tried but he won't cooperate. He won't give us the time of day. He said that his role is only to ensure that Fujiwara-san's will is carried out. He said that he doesn't meddle with his client's personal affairs."

"So, is there no way to know who could have possibly played with Fujiwara-san? It could be that grandson," Ogata insisted.

Amano and Kenta looked at each other.

"I haven't really thought of that," Amano began. "But to be able to play a game like that against Fujiwara Sai… I mean it's just impossible, unless, he has the same calibre as Touya Meijin."

"I haven't really inquired about Fujiwara-san's friend or his grandson because I think it's impossible to assume that either of them was the one who played that game against the Honinbo. I've heard that the old man died years before so I assumed that his grandson had moved away. I wasn't really able to obtain much information since the Fujiwara compound was really large and almost completely isolated from the neighbourhood," Kenta explained. "His closest neighbour, the Takishimas, never even had the chance to meet Fujiwara Sai."

Ogata sighed, finally giving up. "I guess that's all I have to ask," he said as he stood up. "Good day, Yamato-san, Amano-san." He said his thanks and excused himself. He wasn't completely satisfied with what the reporter had relayed. It was as if there was something missing. But maybe it was the fact that he was waiting for the name Shindo Hikaru to come up in the discussion. He was reaching for the doorknob when a thought came to his mind. He turned back and called the reporter. "Yamato-san?" The reporter blinked back at him. "Is there a house nearby owned by the Shindo family?"

"Shindo?" Kenta scratched his nape. "I've listed most of the nearby houses and I don't think there was a Shindo among them."

"Is that so?" Ogata muttered, then sighed heavily. Probably he was just thinking too much. It was near impossible that the man they were looking for, the opponent who had played with almost equal strength against Fujiwara Honinbo, was the carefree sixteen year old boy. Or if he wasn't the one, he might have an idea who the person was. He was about to turn the knob when he heard Yamato muttered something.

"Although that surname sounds familiar…"

Ogata glanced back at Kenta who was deep in thought. He then opened his bag and took out a notebook, then began to flip open the pages. "I think I've heard that name when I was asking around the area," Kenta continued as eyes scanned through the pages. His hand stopped at one of the pages and a relieved sigh escaped his lips.

"Ah, here it is," he said, looking up to Ogata. "Shindo Heihachi. Do you know him? But he's already dead."

Ogata lifted his hand on his chin. "Shindo Heihachi?"

"He was the previous owner of the house next to Fujiwara Sai's. But after he died, his son sold the house to the Takishima's. He…" Kenta's eyes widened as the meaning of his own words played back at him. He also noticed Amano gaping at him.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Waya stretched his arms after he had just trashed one lowly amateur over the internet. It had been a while since he last played internet go and it can be relaxing after all those head wrecking games against pros.

He scanned through the list of players, looking for a possible opponent. Some were familiar, some were not. He sighed as he opened the game room trying to choose a game to watch instead. He had to stifle laugh when his eyes stopped at one of the matches. _'Kira vs LL, huh?'_ he thought in amusement, somehow connecting it to a certain manga he had read. He was merely curious at the game, though already betting on LL since he was a familiar name. He was a regular in the netgo community and many said that he was a top Chinese Amateur player. His record in netgo was one of the best. Waya was quite surprised when he saw the number of the viewers; it certainly was the most viewed among the on-going games. But he was not familiar with Kira, probably a new player. He thought that the reason why there were so many viewers was probably the same reason that had caught his attention when he noticed the opposing players. But when he checked Kira's profile, he was quite amazed that he had only one loss. Waya immediately opened the game to watch, and though the battle was already in chuban, it was quite obvious that Kira had the lead. Waya's eyes narrowed as he continued to analyze the game, going over the moves from the start. No… it was more that Kira was trying hard not to totally butcher LL. _'Is he a pro?' _he wondered. But it was possible. The way he played was solid enough to be that of a pro. But since he was playing an amateur, it was quite hard to judge his real strength, though it was obvious that Kira was definitely better than himself. If he was pro, who could he be? Kira… The face of Touya Akira immediately entered his mind.

Waya shook his head. "Damn that Touya!" he cursed loudly. But then, his name was quite close to Kira. "Tch. Or he must be some damned otaku."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

There was a few minutes before homeroom starts and the room was noisy as students continued to chatter away, taking advantage of the remaining time to make plans since the school week was coming to an end.

Taki was laughing at what Hoshino was saying when the door slid open and Hikaru entered, a duffel bag draped on his shoulders and another bag on his back.

"Yo Shindo!" Taki called out loudly, beckoning him to come towards them.

Since Hoshino's seat was closer, Hikaru decided to pass there first before dumping his bags on his seat.

"Quite a lot of luggage you got there, Shindo-kun," Taki noticed as he draped his arm over his friend's shoulder, leaning over to look at his large bag.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Soccer practice. And I'm staying over at Touya's tonight," he replied.

"You two are working too hard," Hoshino commented, resting his chin on his knuckles. Sometimes, he had to wonder how his loud and brash friend could get along with the serious Touya Akira.

"Tch, can't do anything about it," Hikaru muttered back. "All Touya thinks about is go and homework. Actually, we were not able to work last weekend so we're trying to make up for it this week. But we're almost finished with it."

Hoshino laughed. "At least you're lucky Touya is so serious about it. Taki and I haven't even finished half of it and there's only a week left."

"Hey, it's not my fault you're always busy dating," Taki retorted, then walked around Hikaru. "So what's in here?" he asked, opening Hikaru's backpack to peek inside.

Hikaru turned his head. "Hey, careful with that. My laptop's there."

"Woah! You got yourself a laptop?" Taki exclaimed. "You're lucky. I asked my parents for one but they bought me a desktop instead. It's cheaper they said."

"At least you got a new one," Hoshino muttered dejectedly. "My father bought my older brother a laptop, so his used desktop was passed to me. Sucks to be the youngest." He saw Taki pulling out the laptop from the bag so he leaned to take a peek on it. "Wow, that's an expensive one," he whistled.

A sad smile crossed Hikaru's lips. "Sai gave me that for my birthday last May. I just sold my older one."

"Your friend Sai? Must be a rich guy," Taki commented as he handed the laptop to Hoshino. "Got yourself a sugar daddy, eh Shindo?" he joked, slapping his hand over Hikaru's shoulder.

Hoshino immediately looked up. "Hey…" he started to warn his loud-mouthed friend but it was too late when he noticed Hikaru's reaction.

Instead of the usual loud retort, Hikaru's eyes darkened, a serious look crossed his face as he slapped Taki's hand from his shoulder. "Stop saying stupid things. You don't know anything," he said coldly as he grabbed his laptop from Hoshino's hands and walked towards his seat.

Taki was left dumbfounded. "What the hell's wrong with him?" he wondered out loud. Hoshino groaned and bent his head over his palm.

"What an insensitive jerk."

Taki turned to see Fujisaki Akari crossing her arms over her chest, with a disapproving look at her face.

"Who are you calling insensitive?" Taki glared back at her.

"I'm talking about some idiot who just disrespected a dead person," Akari retorted.

"Dead?" Taki asked, a confused expression evident on his face. "Who?"

"I'm talking about Sai. Hikaru's 'sugar daddy', as you put it." Akari said sarcastically, placing her hands on her waist. "For your information, he was Hikaru's guardian after his grandfather died. And since Sai-san was already old and sickly, Hikaru took care of him until he died a few months ago. Hikaru is really sensitive when it comes to him." Akari gave the poor boy an accusing glare.

Placing his hands in front of him in defense, Taki winced uncomfortably. "Hey, I really didn't know he was dead. I often hear Shindo talk about Sai this and Sai that, and I thought he was just around our age," he tried to explain.

Hoshino sighed. "It's a touchy subject. Shindo gets a little emotional sometimes when he talks about his friend. He's the one who loves to play go, right?"

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting."

Akira closed the go book he was reading and looked up at his classmate, whose blond bangs were plastered to his forehead. He must have just finished showering after his soccer practice. "It's okay. I'm just reading to pass time."

Hikaru glanced at the book on Akira's lap. "Go again?" He shook his head. "Know what? There's time for go, and there's time for recreation. If you don't have other things to read, I could lend you some cool mangas, you know."

"I'm fine with my go books," Akira answered stiffly.

Hikaru usually would have retorted with a joke that would irritate Akira more, but right now, he was not quite in the mood. Though Taki had apologized for that lame joke, it still annoyed him to hell that his friend badmouthed Sai. They didn't know what it felt like for a friend to die. They didn't know what it felt like to be left by people who were close to him, who had taken care of him for so many years. And right now, he didn't even feel like conversing with Akira.

He just shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, no one's forcing you anyway. Let's go. We have a project to finish."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Akira stretched his arms, feeling quite tired from typing. He glanced back at his partner who was seated at the far end of the desk, busy typing his share of work. Hikaru had been unusually silent since that little exchange they had. He didn't know if he was angry because of that, but the atmosphere around him had been different since then. But then, he also remembered that Hikaru was already in an odd mood even when he settled in his seat before homeroom started that morning. Since they had met, there was never a time when he stopped talking, laughing, and joking around. That was why his silence was quite deafening. It was like he was facing a different Shindo Hikaru.

He had often wished that someone would clamp Shindo's mouth shut. But a silent Shindo Hikaru seemed more unnerving. Call him paranoid but he didn't know if the blond haired boy was just playing around, or if he was planning to do something after he had gotten over his brooding.

Unable to bear the silent treatment, Akira faced his partner. "Shindo, is there a problem?"

Hikaru lifted his head from his laptop and faced him. "Huh? What problem?"

"You've been silent the whole time."

"Am I? Is there anything wrong with being quiet?"

"Nothing really," Akira muttered. "It's just a bit scary."

Green eyes lightened a bit as an amused chuckle erupted from the boy. "Sorry. It has nothing to do with you. I just keep remembering someone important to me," Hikaru said softly. "Don't worry, just let me be for a moment. Tomorrow, I'll surely be back to normal," he said as a small grin appeared on his lips, showing a trace of the mischievous boy he knew.

Akira didn't know if that was something to look forward to.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Akira could feel the early rays of sunlight as he rubbed his eyes, then opened them only to see the familiar white ceiling of his room. He got up into a sitting position and stretched his arms. Despite the slight unnerving silence, he was quite glad that Shindo was in his serious mood last night as they managed to finish almost everything, except for the finishing touches and the printing. That meant that he would be able to join the group discussion that afternoon.

Speaking of Shindo, he knew that he was still finishing something before he had fallen asleep. He glanced at the cot on the floor and was surprised that it was empty. Looking around the room, he finally saw him slump on the desk.

'_He fell asleep on the desk? I thought he was almost finished,'_ he thought as he walked towards his classmate. Curious, Akira reached for the laptop and moved his finger on the touchpad, removing the screensaver to reveal whatever Shindo was working on before he fell asleep.

Akira's eyes widened when the image of a go board appeared in front of him. _'A go game?'_ he thought as he scanned the finished net go match. It started quite interesting but in the middle of the game, the players began to make some serious mistakes and it showed that both were amateurs. It seemed that Shindo was watching the game before he fell asleep.

Shaking his head, Akira couldn't help but let out a smile. Shindo was definitely full of surprises. He thought the blond haired boy was only joking when he said he knows how to play go. But it seemed that he appreciated the game more than he had given him credit to. Maybe he could give in to his pestering and play a game with him. Who knows? Maybe, he finally found a friend who could actually relate to his profession.

After he had finished brushing his teeth and washing his face, he walked towards the door when he noticed the magazine Ashiwara had lent him on the shelves. He sighed as he picked it up. He had forgotten to return it to him the last time they met. He better place it on the living room so Ashiwara could see it immediately when he arrived.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Wahoo!" Hikaru shouted with glee, jumping around, as he lifted their 126 pages research project. "Hino-sensei should give us an A on this or I'm going to kick his butt for making me work overnight."

"You hardly worked overnight," Akira commented wryly, although he was relieved that Shindo seemed to have returned to his normal self.

"Hey, not fair!" Hikaru retorted. "I did spend a lot of my free time on this. Sensei only gave us a minimum of 50 pages research paper to submit. But who was the one who insisted on writing an encyclopedia?"

"You're exaggerating," Akira sighed. "Besides, you placed so many pictures. No wonder it reached that many pages."

"I spent a lot of time searching for those pictures, mind you," Hikaru huffed.

"Yeah, and you wasted a lot of my ink printing them," Akira snapped back.

Hikaru shrugged and just grinned back at him. "You're rich anyway. And you have a job," he pointed out which only earned a glare from Akira. His eyes looked around, searching for one thing that had been on his mind since last night. He quickly dashed towards it and pulled the goban towards the middle of the room.

"Hey!"

Hikaru waved off Akira's protest as he settled himself on one side of the board. "Come on. You owe me a game."

Akira just gave him a blank look. "I never promised you a game."

"It's a celebration game for finishing our project," Hikaru insisted as he lifted one of the bowls to his side. "And I told you before. If I win, you'll go to Karaoke with us."

Akira couldn't help but sigh as he walked towards the other side of the board and sat down. He then took the other bowl. "I didn't know you like to watch games in net go," he commented.

Hikaru lifted his eyes in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I saw it in your laptop," Akira replied as he opened the bowl. It was black.

"Well, I do play net go when I have time," Hikaru grinned. "And I have a pretty good record."

'_Maybe you're playing against lower kyu players.' _ But Akira remained silent and kept his comment to himself. "I think we need to exchange bowls."

"What?!" Hikaru exclaimed. "We're supposed to nigiri!"

Akira just stared at him.

"Oh yeah… you're a pro," Hikaru scratched his nape when he realized his mistake and grinned sheepishly. It had been years since Sai started to play evenly against him. But then, Touya was different from Sai. The one he was about to play was a go pro. "But I don't want to play with handicaps," he muttered.

Akira sighed as he reached for the bowl with white stones. "Okay, no komi then."

That seemed to have lifted Hikaru's spirit. After the customary exchange of 'onegaishimasu,' Akira watched as his classmate reached for a black stone from the bowl, expertly placing it between his index and middle finger and placed it on the upper right of the board. He was quite surprised at Hikaru's handling of the stone, up to the point that he could call it graceful. He lifted his head to look at his opponent. Gone was the loud mouthed, overbearing, and mischievous boy. He was replaced by a totally different person, his green eyes serious as his whole attention was focused only on the board. His aura was totally different… it was as if he was about to play another pro.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Konnichiwa!" Ashiwara greeted as he entered the tatami room. He looked around and noticed that the youngest member of the group wasn't there. "Is Akira-kun going to join us today?" he asked as he sat beside Sasaki who was playing a practice game with Touya Kouyo.

"He's with Shindo-kun right now," Touya Kouyo replied, not even bothering to lift his eyes from the board. "But he mentioned that they might finish their project early so he can attend our group discussion. Maybe he got delayed a bit."

"And Ogata-san isn't here yet," Sasaki commented. It was quite unusual for the blond haired Judan to be late in the discussion group. Maybe something came up that caused his delay. But for sure, Ogata Judan was someone who would never miss a session unless necessary.

"Akira-kun forgot to bring the magazine that he borrowed last time," Ashiwara explained. "You know the one with the article about Fujiwara Honinbo."

Sasaki looked up. "You mean the one that you showed us two weeks ago? The one with the football player as cover?" he asked. "I think I saw it in the living room."

"Really?" Ashiwara then turned towards his sensei. "Touya-sensei, we're still waiting for Ogata-san, right?"

"Don't worry," Sasaki laughed. "We won't be finished right away."

"Ogata said he'll be a little late. There are just some things he's taking care of," Kouyo explained.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

The magazine was just lying there on the table in the living room that Ashiwara felt a little stupid for missing it. He got the feeling that Akira had placed it there on purpose for him to notice it right away. He picked it up, then rolled it, and was about to place it inside his pants' back pocket when Touya Akiko's head popped from the kitchen.

"Ah, Ashiwara-kun. I'm glad you're there," Akiko called to him. "Can you help me carry this to the tatami room?" She gestured towards a tray she was holding which contained a tea set.

"Oh sure," Ashiwara immediately complied and walked towards the kitchen, absently left the magazine on the counter, then picked up the tray. "Looks good. You've outdone yourself again, Touya-san," he praised.

Akiko smiled. "It's to compensate for the missed group discussion last week. Many of you were invited to the Go Event, right?" She carried the other tray which contained some pastries for their snacks, and gratefully thanked him for his help. Continuing their discussion, they walked towards the tatami room to deliver the snacks.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

A drop of sweat trickled down the side of Akira's cheek as he contemplated the situation of his white stones on the board. Despite the seriousness on Shindo's expression at the start of the game, Akira decided to play shidougo against his classmate as not to overwhelm him. But everything had backfired and he had lost quite a number of moves before he realized that the person he was playing with didn't need any handicap, much less a game of shidougo. He found himself trapped in a game dominated by the blond banged boy who was supposed to be a lowly amateur!

Akira's mind was on a riot. Normally on a match, he made sure that he had enough preparation, both mentally and physically. He would study his opponents' games to familiarize himself with their moves and to be able to know what to expect on the game. But today's game was a catastrophe, attacking him unaware and unprepared, resulting to a disastrous start. But he wasn't a prodigy for nothing. He managed to calm himself, racked his brains on ways on how turn the game around. He tried to bring back the game to his favour, moving aggressively to make up for the lost moves he made at the start of the game. But it seemed that Shindo wasn't the type of player to just sit back and relax after securing his lead. His aggressive attacks were immediately countered by equally aggressive hands by Shindo. He found himself playing a game of analysis and wits with Shindo, racing as to who could out read the other's moves.

The game continued and it was as if Akira had forgotten that the person he was playing with was an amateur, but rather a pro with equal ranking. Neither said a word as white and black stones continued to fill up the remaining space on the board. But in the end, there would always be one winner.

Akira's hand gripped the fabric of his pants as he stared in disbelief at the result of the game. There were a few moves left but it was obvious who would be the winner. Despite all his desperate attempts, Shindo managed to hold on to his lead. His voice trembled as the words he never expected he would say against this opponent stumbled from his mouth.

"M-makemashita…"

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**Chapter 8 up! And… sorry for the cliffhanger. Hehe. I know, I know. Many had been complaining about my cliffies. But it seemed like the best spot to end the chapter. Anyway, please read and review.**_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm really glad that you still continue on reading this fic despite my late updates.**_

_**And thanks so much to my beta Israfel for editing this.**_

_**It's my mom's birthday today! (Although I doubt she would get the chance to read this. hahaha!)**_

_**Just responses on some reviews…**_

_**sweet.summer.rain**__**: **__for now I'm focusing on this since I don't have a clear direction for Lost Memories. Although if given the inspiration, I'll prioritize on finishing Lost Memories._

_**nerumaeni**__**: **__haha. I guess I had no choice but to correct my previous mistakes after being commented several times on my other fics._

_**Plain.Game.**__Thanks for the correction. I guess I wrote it that way in my other fics. :)_

_**Kolachess: **__lol. Someone beat you to the 500__th__ reviewer. It's Anonymous._

_**Schermionie**__**: **__I'd say it's more on Sai's own talent, rather than being connected to Shusaku's ghost. I think I'm going to include more explanation on this on one of the upcoming chapters. _

_**There were some readers asking for my upcoming fic Picturesque… unfortunately, I don't think I can post it this soon. Maybe when I'm finished with Lost Memories or when I can already manage my time to allow me to keep up with the updates. But thanks for your PMs. :)**_


	9. Chap 09 Secrets Revealed

**The Go Within **

**Chapter 9 - Secrets Revealed  
**

* * *

**.:go-go-go:.**

Akira's voice trembled as the words he never expected he would say against this opponent stumbled from his mouth.

"M-makimashita…"

His eyes were wide as he stared in disbelief at the groups of white and black stones scattered on the different intersecting points of the go board, forming an intricate pattern that under normal circumstances, he would have praised his opponent for such a beautiful game. Except that in this case, he was the one who had bowed down. But what was most surprising was the fact that the boy who had just defeated him was an amateur – someone whom he had believed to be engrossed more in the physical game of soccer rather than an intellectual game of go.

'_What had just happened? How did this happen?'_ His mind was still in shambles, still trying to get over what happened – or more likely, trying to accept his loss. _'But Shindo… Shindo is a soccer player! He doesn't play go… no, he plays go, but only with his grandfather and a friend. But this… this can't be the strength of an amateur! It's just impossible!' _He lifted his head, his eyes blazing. _'Shindo, just who the hell are you?'_ Determined to get his answers, he opened his mouth to ask. "Shindo, you-" But his words got drowned when Hikaru jumped to his feet and punched his fists into the air.

"Yeeessss!!" Hikaru shouted in glee, recovering from his stunned reaction after realizing that he won the game. "Yes! Yes! Wow! Just wow! I won against Touya!" He continued jumping around laughing and yelling incoherent things like "Karaoke, make way for Touya!" and "I'm going to choose the song for you!"

Akira, on the other hand, was dumbfounded and almost forgot what he was about to say as he gaped at the pure joy on Hikaru's face, as if the boy himself didn't expect to win the match. Akira shook his head to focus himself. There was something wrong with what had just happened and he needed explanations from the blond banged boy. He stood up to call the other boy's attention. "Shindo, I-" he began but Hikaru cut him off again when he dashed towards the door.

"Later Touya," Hikaru grinned as he pulled the door open. "I was so tense I think I won't be able to hold my pee. Now, off to the bathroom!"

"Shindo, wait!" But before Akira knew it, the boy was gone and he was left facing the closed door. He lifted his hand to his forehead, shoving his bangs upward, still restless over the turn of events. He still couldn't believe that he lost to Shindo Hikaru. He walked back and forth across the room, occasionally rubbing his nape or his jaw, trying to analyze everything. Did he really underestimate Shindo so much that it cost him the whole game? But even if he had, no average amateur could have pulled out the kinds of moves Shindo had made. And the game was the proof. He lost. But everything just didn't make sense. He touched his forehead, then his neck. Was he sick? Not feeling well?

"This is just a dream. A nightmare," he muttered, heading towards the bed. Maybe if he went back to sleep, he might wake up and forget everything. Besides, there was no way Shindo could be that good at go.

Unfortunately, his leg got tangled with Hikaru's bag that was left on the floor, prompting him to fall on his knees.

Akira groaned as he pushed himself up, feeling pain on his right knee. It was like a wake-up call, reminding him that everything did happen, not a dream as he had wished it would be. And he had to accept that the game between him and Shindo was no beginner's luck. No ordinary amateur could play the way Shindo did. He was more than just good; he was at a professional level. And he hated to admit it but it was a skill that could rival his own, or worse, surpass it..

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Please have some tea first," Akiko smiled at her husband and Sasaki as she and Ashiwara placed the tea set and pastries at their side.

"Thank you, Touya-san," Sasaki said as he reached for the teacup. But he almost dropped it in surprise when a loud cheer was heard followed by boisterous laughter.

"What was that?" Ashiwara asked, quite bewildered. For the past years he had been with Touya Meijin's study group, it was unusual to hear anything in that house except go-related conversations or Touya Akiko's soft voiced inquiries.

Lifting her hand to her lips, Akiko giggled. "Shindo-kun is such a lively boy. I'm glad they're having fun."

"Oh…"

Comprehension dawned on the two visitors and they both chuckled at their own reactions.

"Sometimes, I just forget that Akira-kun is still a teenager," Sasaki confessed. "At least he has a friend who is a normal teenager. Don't you think so, sensei?"

Kouyo just returned his attention to the go board and picked up a stone from his bowl. "I think all that commotion was because they finally finished with their project. Maybe we could expect Akira in a little while."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Damn, that game was exhausting," Hikaru muttered happily after he had relieved himself. He touched his throat and felt like it had dried up after hours of playing that single game. _'I think I'll just grab some drinks,'_ he thought as he made his way towards the kitchen and found some pastries on the table. _'Good timing. I'm hungry.'_

"Ah Shindo-kun, I was about to bring snacks to Akira's room," Akiko said as she entered the kitchen.

Hikaru immediately pulled his hand from the pastries, instead scratched his nape and grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, Touya-san. I can carry them for you. But can I have a glass of water first?"

"Oh, of course, wait a moment," Akiko said as she walked towards the fridge.

As she handed pitcher and glass to Hikaru, they heard the doorbell rang. "Oh, that must be Ogata-san," Akiko said, wiping her hands on her apron. "He seemed to be the only one missing. Will you be alright here?"

"Nah, don't worry about me." Hikaru couldn't help but smile at the way Akira's mother fuss over him. "I'll leave some for Touya," he grinned, referring to the pastries, which earned a soft laugh from Akiko before she left to answer the door.

Left alone, Hikaru faced the counter while drinking another glass of water and noticed a magazine at the far corner of the counter. Glimpsing a familiar white and black ball held by a person on the cover, he went towards it and looked at the front.

"A sports mag, huh?" he murmured as he scanned through the pages, looking for some interesting articles. _'More like gossips on sports. I thought the Touyas are only concerned with go.'_ He continued to turn the pages looking for the article about the soccer player on the cover when a familiar article caught his attention.

_**Last Game of Legendary Go Master, a Faux?**_

He remembered the stunned faces of Akira and the other pros when they saw the article. Curiosity got over him and his eyes began to travel on the words of the article.

_A month ago, the go world grieved over the death of one of the most famous go players of the modern times. The legendary go master, the only go player who managed to hold the seven prestigious titles… _

Hikaru felt as if his heart stopped, his breath caught when his eyes fell over an achingly familiar name… _Fujiwara Sai…_

'_Sai?'_ Hikaru gaped for like a minute. Then, he laughed. _'Ha, no way!'_ he thought in amusement as he scanned the page. It must be a coincidence that they have the same name. Sai, a legendary go master? It was too incredulous to be true. He was about the turn the page, but the name Fujiwara Sai continued to pull him towards the article and got him to continue reading the page.

…_more popularly known as Fujiwara Honinbo as he never lost the Honinbo title for fourteen years…_

He gave a low whistle at that. He may not be familiar with the professional world of go but it was understandable that in any sport, a title definitely meant something; and fourteen years of not losing a title? That was some feat. Just then, his eyes caught the photo of man in his late twenties or early thirties with long hair tied into a ponytail looking back with a serious expression on his face. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the picture again. His eyes widened in recognition at the familiar face. "No way!" he mouthed in disbelief. It was Sai! His Sai. His friend Sai. The Sai he was with for ten years. _'No, it's impossible!'_ Hikaru shook his head, finding it unbelievable. But there was no doubt about it. Sai had shown him his pictures when he was younger. The picture was in black and white, same with most of the pictures he had seen in Sai's home. He could still envision him, in those few coloured pictures he had kept of Sai, his long bluish hair and cheerful indigo eyes as his smile was captured for all eternity.

Hikaru felt his knees weaken as he grasped the edge of the counter for support, still unable to believe what he had learned. His hands began to tremble as he straightened the magazine and started reading again from the very beginning.

"Sai…" Hikaru's lips trembled as he whispered the name of his friend and mentor. He couldn't believe he never knew about this… but then, he never tried to inquire about Sai's past. And now, with all this information slapped into his face, he felt lost. Like he never knew Sai at all. Sai suddenly became a total stranger to him. He was Fujiwara Sai, a go professional. And not just an ordinary pro, but an incredible one – a title holder, a legend.

His eyes scanned through the article, hungry for all the information he could get about Sai. His eyes began to water as he read through all of Sai's accomplishments. Accomplishments that he never knew, that in all those years they had been together, Sai never tried to tell him. Though he felt proud, he still could feel his chest tighten, aching with the realization that he never knew the real Sai.

But as he continued to go through the paragraphs, he began to notice that the Fujiwara Sai that he knew seemed different from the Fujiwara Sai of the go world. His eyes began to narrow as he went on.

_Fujiwara Honinbo had completely ruled over the professional world of go, dominating over all the titles for almost five years. It was a feat that marked him as one of the greatest players of all time, but that domination also marked one of the darkest moments in the history of modern go._

_Many known go professionals had retired or resigned from their posts as many lost interest in the game, knowing that they don't stand a chance against Fujiwara. There was a call for his withdrawal from title matches to redeem the prestige and excitement of the games, though not entirely removing him from being a pro. But Fujiwara had refused, still holding to his search for the Hand of God, causing anger from other professionals._

The article continued, citing the numerous controversies involving the late Honinbo, mostly due to complaints and restlessness from other go professionals. Many called him selfish, and his nonchalance nature caused further dispute from his colleagues. Then it mentioned the Kisei finals where Fujiwara Sai lost, followed by the tragedy that happened to his daughter, the lost of his ability to walk, and his sudden retirement from the go world. The article then mentioned how his death had caused another commotion.

_The game, Takamura-sensei reflected, was a ploy employed by loyalists of the late Honinbo in honor of his death. It may look like his game, but it was impossible or suspiciously coincidental that the game was left on his grave to be found by a journalist of the Weekly Go magazine._

Every word seemed like a heavy load to Hikaru's heart as he read through the insulting comments from some of the pros against Sai.

'_Why? What has Sai done to them to deserve this?'_ his mind screamed angrily. For him, it was obvious that the conflict was caused by jealousy of Sai's success.

He couldn't help but remember bits of the conversation he had heard before.

"_Fujiwara Honinbo isn't exactly that popular among his fellow pros, huh?"_

"_Entering the pro world can be a little complicated…"_

"_Money is involved in every game. So you couldn't help the intrigue. Being a pro is just a prestige. I would rather prefer a nice game in a go salon."_

His fingers clenched over the paper, crumpling the pages. He hastily turned to the next page which showed the 19x19 lines of the go board.

_The controversial last game of Fujiwara Honinbo_, the footnote read. Hikaru's eyes widened as the familiar shape of the stones flashed before his eyes.

'_What the hell…?!'_

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Ashiwara scratched his head as he walked towards the kitchen, still unable to believe his stupidity. He left the magazine again. It was quite ironic that despite being the youngest of the group, save for Akira, it seemed that he was the one who tend to forget easily.

But at that time, helping his master's wife was more important. He just shook his head and walked inside, only to be surprised to see Akira's friend with the blond bangs.

"Ah Shindo-kun, you're here again," he greeted cheerfully as he walked towards him. "Where's Akira? I thought…" He paused when he noticed that the boy wasn't listening. Instead, he was trembling while holding a magazine… which looked exactly like the one he was looking for. "Ahh! You're crumpling it!" Ashiwara exclaimed, rushing towards the boy to snatch the magazine away from him.

But the boy clenched his hands tighter to it, refusing to hand it over.

Hikaru lifted his head and Ashiwara was surprised to see the boy's tear stricken eyes. "S-shindo-kun, are you okay?" he asked worriedly, giving up the lost tug-of-war.

"Why?" the boy whispered softly, his look dazed.

"Huh?" It was the only intelligent reply Ashiwara could come up at first. His eyes trailed to the crumpled piece of reading material Hikaru was holding. "That is my magazine," he pointed as if to answer the boy's question. But he had the feeling that it wasn't what the boy was asking about, not with that crestfallen expression he was carrying as if trying to hold back his sobs.

Just then, Akira entered the scene. "Shindo! What's taking you so long?" His voice carried a tone of impatience, but he was met with silence. He only found his classmate staring at Ashiwara with a grief stricken expression.

"Shindo…?" he called hesitantly, walking closer to his classmate.

"Why?" the boy continued to ask, his voice slightly louder. Then his green eyes seemed to have snapped out of their dazed state and flashed furiously as he turned his head towards Akira. "What has he done to all of you to deserve this?!" Hikaru shouted.

Akira blinked in surprise and turned a confused look at Ashiwara who also looked shocked at Shindo's outburst. _'What had just happened here?'_

Although still bewildered at everything, Akira kept his calm, but curious as to the cause of Hikaru's obvious anger. "Shindo, what's going on? What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to reach out and calm him.

But Hikaru stepped back away from him, his hand still clenched over the magazine. "All he wanted was to play go. He lived to play go. But you all drove him away!" He still tried to keep his emotions in check, but he could no longer control the tears that began to fall from his eyes. Hikaru had never felt so much frustration before. He was angry at them, for being pros. For being part of the reason that had caused his friend so much pain, for driving Sai away to live the rest of his life in isolation and depression. He was angry at Sai for keeping all these away from him. For not trusting him and keeping all the suffering he had experienced to himself.. And most of all, he was angry at himself for being ignorant. For failing to learn about Sai's past and for playing Go with Sai, unaware that he must have brought back painful memories every time they played.

Hearing the commotion, Akiko hurried back into the kitchen and glanced worriedly at its three occupants. "Is anything wrong?" she asked, looking back from the furious face of Hikaru to the confused expressions of Akira and Ashiwara. Ogata followed shortly and found himself in the middle of the confusion.

As if realizing his rudeness, Hikaru wiped his eyes with his sleeves and tried to calm himself, then bowed to Akiko for causing the commotion. "I'm sorry Touya-san, but I guess I have to leave now," he said and walked past Akira. He stopped in front of Ashiwara and dumped the crumpled magazine into his hands. "You people don't have any right to degrade Sai," he hissed, trying to push his way out of the crowded area.

But Akira rushed to block his way. "Shindo, what the hell are you talking about?!" Akira's voice got a little louder as confusion began to cloud his mind.

Hikaru looked at him blankly and pushed him aside, preferring not to talk to him.

But a hand grabbed his arm and Hikaru found himself staring at Ogata's piercing gray orbs. "I think you should try to explain first," he said coolly. Seeing the magazine and hearing what he said to Ashiwara, he had concluded that the boy must have read the article. "You mentioned 'Sai.' You know something about Fujiwara Sai, don't you?"

"What if I do?" Hikaru countered, his green eyes unblinking, as if challenging Ogata to say something about his dear friend.

"What?!" Akira exclaimed as he glanced from Hikaru to Ogata. "Fujiwara Sai? What has Shindo got to do with Fujiwara Honinbo? What's going on?"

"So you really know him, huh?" Ogata asked, his voice laced with satisfaction knowing that his question was more of a statement.

Hikaru snatched back his arm and glared at the older pro. "Does it really matter? For you pros, he was just a nuisance. A selfish…"

But Ogata cut him off. "Who was he to you?"

Hikaru just glared back, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing answers about Sai.

"Okay, if you won't talk, then let me." Ogata began, walking towards the table and took a brown envelope from him. He pulled some papers and glanced at it as he started talking. "Shindo Hikaru, just turned sixteen last fifth of May. Grandson of Shindo Heihachi and had lived with him since you were five years old in the village of Houko, south of Kyoten." He noticed the boy's eyes narrowed, as if confirming what he had said. Ogata walked back in front of the boy carrying the envelope and continued. "Interesting. Two months ago, a famous go player was discovered to have died in that same place. Was it a coincidence that you lived in the same village and just right next to Fujiwara Sai? And four years ago, Shindo Heihachi died but it was only this year that you returned back to your parents." Seeing the boy's eyes widened was enough proof that the story he gathered was the truth. He stepped closer towards the blond banged boy. "Now, kid, tell me. Who was Fujiwara Sai to you? Was he your teacher? Did he teach you everything he knows about go? Did he train you in the last four years that you spent with him?"

Hikaru could feel his ears redden in anger. It was still all about go. His friend was dead and all these people were concerned about was his go. "He was my friend and my guardian for four years," Hikaru hissed, stepping back. "And that's all you need to know. And that's enough for me to dislike people like you!"

"The game in the paper, the game that was left on his grave," Ogata continued, cornering Hikaru until he had nowhere left to step back. "Who was it? Who played against Fujiwara Honinbo?" His eyes pierced against the young boy. "Or was it you?"

Akira gasped as he looked from Ogata to Hikaru.

A sarcastic smile formed on Hikaru's face as he stubbornly held the man's gaze. "And here I thought that you all concluded that it was a fluke?"

"Don't play games with me, kid," Ogata gritted his teeth. "Tell me, who was Fujiwara Honinbo's opponent?"

"What do you want to hear? That I was the one who had played against Sai?" Hikaru challenged. "Nothing I say would be of any use to you anyway. I could say that there were other people who visited and played with Sai. Or that my grandfather played that game with Sai four years ago. Or maybe you want the most absurd of all, that I had defeated Sai. Would you believe me?"

"You idiot!" Ogata's voice rose a bit higher as he closed the distance and grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Do you know who Fujiwara Sai is?! Do you have any idea…?!"

"That's enough, Ogata-kun."

They all turned to see Touya Meijin and Sasaki looking at them.

"Sensei, this boy-" Ogata let go of Hikaru's shoulders and tried to explain but was cut off.

"I've heard everything Ogata-kun," Kouyo said calmly, his eyes never leaving the blond haired boy. "Just let him go."

"But sensei-"

"I think we need to respect his wishes," he reasoned against Ogata's protests. He could feel Hikaru's silent stare, filled with gratefulness, as well as indecisiveness and confusion. The boy then walked past him and murmured a soft 'thank you.'

"Shindo-kun," Kouyo called to him.

The boy paused without looking back.

"Please know that whatever you read doesn't represent all the feelings of go professionals for Fujiwara Sai. I, for one, admired him for all that he had accomplished," Kouyo said sincerely.

Hikaru nodded his head in acknowledgement and ran towards Akira's room to gather his things.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

"Sensei, I think we really should have talked to him. He's the only disciple Fujiwara Honinbo had ever had. Do you know what this means to the go world? He-"

"Please, Ogata-kun," Kouyo stopped him. "Even if what you say is true, we can't force him." They were all left to watch as Hikaru literally ran away from the Touya's residence after gathering all his things. "He knew Fujiwara Sai personally so what happened to his friend must have affected him more than we can understand. I think he must be confused right now, seeing from his reaction that he never knew anything about Fujiwara sensei's involvement in the go world." Kouyo sighed as he faced the other members of the study group. "And I think it would take some time to convince him considering the negative impression he got from that article. How did he even get hold of that magazine?"

All eyes turned to Ashiwara who winced as he held the crumpled magazine in his hands. "I never knew it would come to this," he explained, scratching his head.

"I still can't believe it," Akira murmured, still dazed at everything that happened. "No wonder he was so good. That game was no fluke."

That caught their attention.

"What game?" Ogata asked, his brows furrowing.

Akira looked up, wonder still evident on his expression. "He won against me…" he said softly, almost like a whisper. "I don't know what happened. But it's just that he could foresee all of my plans. I know I underestimated him at first but his moves were… t-they were really amazing. It was like playing another pro, a high dan." Akira continued to ramble as the others listened. He shook his head, trying to remember that game. "He said he's not that good at go, that's why I wasn't interested in playing a game with him. And that he only plays with his grandfather and a frie…" His eyes widened in realization. "He… he w-was referring to F-fujiwara Honinbo?"

Kouyo sighed. "I thought as much." He looked at the four faces in front of him. "Please don't let a word of this out. I don't want to cause more trouble to Shindo-kun."

"But sensei-" Ogata tried to interject but he was met by a serious look from his master.

"This is not just about go, Ogata-kun," Kouyo said. "Though I'm also highly curious about Shindo-kun's real strength, we can't disregard his feelings on this. Forcing someone to play, even if he is almost at Fujiwara-sensei's calibre, would produce no positive result. We can still try to convince him though."

Ogata's shoulders dropped in defeat. "I understand." He couldn't help but feel disappointed. After all those discoveries, he was anticipating to find out the strength of Fujwara Sai's disciple. Having heard all those accomplishments made by the late Honinbo, it was like a dream for him to play against the legend. And this chance came. He had heard that Fujiwara Sai had never taken a student before. He had a lot of lectures and group discussions, but never had he focused his teachings on one single person. Now, he had to wonder what the legend had seen in young Shindo Hikaru to have taken him into his care. Had he seen the boy's potential? Why didn't he tell Shindo that he was a pro? He had a lot of questions that needed answers, but he also knew that his sensei was right. They couldn't afford to lose the boy's trust. If a hint of this news leaked out, it would cause trouble for the boy. And it would be up to the five of them to keep this secret.

His brows furrowed at that thought. The five of them? Ogata cursed silently as he remembered something very important.

"Sensei…"

Kouyo turned his attention to his student. "Yes?"

Ogata sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I'm afraid there are two other people who know half of the truth."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

At the sound of the door opening, Mitsuko waited for the usual greeting her son would call upon his arrival. But instead of the greeting, she heard the door slammed shut. Loud footsteps were heard running through the stairs, and the loud bang of the door upstairs was enough proof that Hikaru had arrived, though in a foul mood.

"Hikaru?" she called from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you all right?" She couldn't help but worry about her eldest son. In a way, she still felt guilty about leaving him with his grandfather eleven years ago which had caused some sort of a barrier within their relationship. These past months, she and Masao tried to make up for all those years that they had missed in their son's life, hoping that their eldest son would also bestow upon them the love he had for his grandfather and his friend Sai. Though Hikaru appeared cheerful and happy everyday, she knew that he still harboured the feeling of loneliness due to the death of the two people closest to him.

She was lost in her own thoughts when she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down and saw Sasuke's cherub face also masked with worry.

"Is Onii-chan okay?" he asked, a small frown on his face.

"Don't worry dear," Mitsuko patted his head. "Something must have happened to make Onii-chan sad."

"Told you. You should have cooked ramen for dinner," Sasuke blamed her.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

Everything was dark. And no matter how many times he tossed and turned, nothing changed, just like the darkness that enveloped his room.

It was frustrating that no matter how much he wanted to go to sleep and hope that his mind would just turn blank so that even for a moment he could forget about what happened, images of what he had read and what happened earlier continued to plague his mind. In a way, he knew he became too emotional and that he had released his frustration on Akira and the other go professionals. He was quite ashamed at the way he behaved, but everything just happened so fast that he lost control of his emotions. He knew it was an unjust conclusion on his part, blaming all the pros for what happened to Sai. But what was he to do? Directly or indirectly, they were a part of Sai's past – the past that had caused such grief and loneliness to his dear friend.

After a while, he finally made up his mind. He got out of bed and turned on the lights. He walked towards his closet and took a backpack, then gathered some of his clothes. He wouldn't be able to rest until he found his answer. And the only way to do it is to go back to the place where most of Sai's memories would remain – back to his old home.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

He lifted his hand to reach for the doorbell, but his hand stopped halfway as he began to hesitate again. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say, what he wanted to confirm. But at that exact moment, he seemed to have forgotten the purpose why he was even standing here in the place. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, then finally reached for the button to press it. He heard a woman's voice answering and the door then opened.

"Yes?"

"Uhm… I-I'm l-looking for Shindo Hikaru…" Akira said nervously to the middle-aged woman who was looking curiously at him. "I'm his classmate, Touya Akira."

"Oh," Mitsuko smiled and opened the door wider. "I'm Hikaru's mother. Please come in," she said and guided him inside the living room. "Wait please, I'll call him."

She walked towards the base of the stairs and called his son. "Hikaru! Hikaru!" Bewildered at the lack of reply, Mitsuko went up the stairs to check his room. But to her surprise, she found the room empty. She didn't notice him coming down that morning, and since it was Sunday, she assumed that he was only sleeping in his room. She knew he didn't have any soccer practice or games today, else she would have prepared his bento. Quite worried, she walked down the stairs and saw her youngest son in the kitchen.

"Sasuke, have you seen your Onii-chan?"

Sasuke lifted his head from his bowl of cereals. "Onii-chan left."

"Left? Where?"

"He had a huge bag. He said he's going to be away for a few days."

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

It had been more than three months since he last stepped into the compound. He knew that no one occupied it as it was still in auction. He still kept in touch with Ishida-san, Sai's lawyer, who had informed him that the new owner would be determined within a month. The gate was already locked but it was not a problem for him since he knew the place by heart and he knew the best way to sneak inside. He walked towards the back of the estate where there stood a large Sakura tree. He began climbing it, reminiscent of the first time wherein he had snuck into the Fujiwara mansion. But the difference was that there was no Sai to catch him this time. As he climbed over the wall, he reached for the branches of the apple tree and climbed down to safety. As he reached the ground, he looked around with a feeling of déjà vu. It was still the same, and even the eerie silence of the place when he first stepped onto this wide estate when he had just turned six years old.

_His eyes were wide as he walked closer to the house. It was the largest house he had seen. But the place was filled with silence, and only the sounds of the birds and other insects could be heard and he had to wonder if this place was abandoned. When he saw the terrace, he rushed towards it, but paused when he heard the pachi sounds caused by the connecting of a stone to a wood surface. Curiosity got him and he hid by the wall, then slowly peeked only to found himself watching an elderly man sitting in front of a small table, placing little stones on it. He wondered at first what the man was doing than he began to walk closer and closer to the terrace, still trying to hide himself among the bushes._

_As he pushed his head up, his nose brushed a flower. He held his mouth, trying to stop himself from sneezing when he heard a soft voice._

"_Don't hold it, little one."_

_Surprised, Hikaru wasn't able to hold it and sneezed out loud. Horrified at being discovered, he started to run when he heard the man speak again._

"_I'm not going to hurt you, you know."_

_At that, Hikaru stopped and turned around. He was nibbling his lower lip as he nervously walked towards the man._

"_I'm sorry!" he bowed down. "I was curious about this place. I didn't know anyone lived here."_

"_Come here, child."_

_Hikaru was trembling as he walked closer. He was already wondering what punishment the man would give him. What if he is a wizard who would curse him for trespassing? What if he is a monster who would eat him? What if…?_

"_Please look up." _

_Lifting his head, Hikaru found himself staring at a pair of amused lavender eyes. "What's your name?" the man asked._

_Fidgeting his hands anxiously, Hikaru stammered at his answer. "S-shindo. Shindo Hikaru."_

_But the man's next words quite surprised him. "Hikaru-kun, can you please push my wheelchair here? I forgot to lock it so it ran away." The man's voice was gentle, even trying to make it sound into a joke._

_Even as a child, Hikaru seemed to have felt something different about the older man. It was like he was trying to be cheerful, but he could feel the weariness and pain in his words and his manner. He didn't know why, but he felt himself soften to the kind man. He immediately ran towards the wheelchair and brought it towards him. Hikaru watched as the man crawled towards the wheelchair and reached for the handle; then pushed himself up using only his arms, fatigue evident in his eyes. Hikaru felt sorry for him and wondered why there was no one helping him in this huge house. Without any other thought, he stepped towards him and helped him to settle into his wheelchair._

"_Thank you, Hikaru-kun," the man said gratefully, his breathing a bit laboured after exhausting himself. "I think God just sent an angel to me."_

_A bright grin formed on Hikaru's lips. "My father calls me a little devil sometimes when he gets angry." That caused a chuckle from the old man. He cocked his head, smiling. "What's your name?"_

"_Sai. Fujiwara Sai."_

"_Fujiwara Sai," Hikaru repeated, as if trying to make sure that he would remember the name the next time they would meet. He grinned as he reached over the old man's hands and clasped them with his small ones. "Then, can I call you Sai?"_

A small smile formed on Hikaru's face as he remembered his first encounter with Sai. It was the start of an unusual friendship between a six year old boy and a forty six year-old disabled man. Actually, Sai looked much thinner and older the first time they met. But as the years pass by, he began to look much better, and he looked much happier that he never expected him to die, even at the age of fifty-six.

Same as the gate, the main door was also locked. But it wasn't much of a problem to Hikaru. He circled the house until he reached his secret entrance – his bedroom's window. Even though he loved and respected Sai like his own father or grandfather, he also had his own mischievousness, and there were times he would sneak out through the window to meet his friends at night without Sai's permission. Sai could be such a worrier at times that he preferred to sneak out rather than hear all his ramblings about the danger of staying out late at night. And there were times when he got caught, but a game of go was usually enough to pacify Sai.

Knowing that the bar was loose since he had intentionally loosened it, he pushed the steel frame hard allowing the bar to drop. He then pulled the window open and climbed into the room. He let his eyes roam over the place, it was empty except for the bed. It was no longer the room he used to occupy – the room that used to be filled with soccer posters, shelves full of mangas and video games, scattered clothes and shoes. Now, only his memories remained in the vacant room. He let out a sad sigh as he opened the door and walked out towards the other room – Sai's room.

Hikaru closed his eyes as his hand clenched on the doorknob. He had been in and out of this room so many times before, played many go games with Sai, and even slept on the same bed with Sai when he was younger. And he knew that this may be the last time he could see this place again, so he couldn't help being emotional. Taking a deep breathe, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

Unlike his room, many of Sai's belongings still remained. His eyes scanned around the room, looking for something. He immediately dashed towards the two large boxes that were left in the middle of the room.

'_Thank God, it's still here,'_ he thought as he let his hand ran over one of the boxes. It was still tightly sealed, as if meant to be hidden away for all eternity.

Before he left the estate, Ishida-san had allowed him to take some of Sai's important possessions like his go board and other personal stuff. The lawyer was an old friend of Sai and though visited only a few times in a year, was a witness on Sai's closeness to Hikaru. Ishida-san had told him the last time they had talked on the phone that Sai had some old stuff in the storage room and he already had them taken out and placed them inside Sai's old room. When Ishida-san first asked him if he wanted to check them out first before they are donated or thrown away, Hikaru had politely declined and told him that he already got what he wanted – Sai's go board, Sai's most precious treasure. But now, he had the feeling that all the answers he sought were just hidden away inside the boxes, waiting to be opened.

Hikaru walked towards the drawer and looked for something to use. Spotting a box cutter, he took it and slashed it over the packaging tape that sealed one of the boxes. He pulled the top and folded it to its sides. He had to cover his mouth due to dust that seemed to have accumulated after several years of being unopened. He reached inside the box and pulled out the first thing that his hand grabbed on. His brows furrowed as he felt the unusual shape but his eyes widened when he realized that the object he was holding was a small trophy. He turned it around and read the label.

_Kaisen Kiddies Go Tournamnent_

_Champion_

_Fujiwara Sai_

'_Sai's trophy?'_ Hikaru quickly rummaged through the other things inside. It was all of Sai's stuff when he was younger and most of them were go related – his trophies, plaques, books, and pictures while holding his awards. He then went to the other box and opened it as well and was shocked to see more go-related stuffs. He reached for the certificate on top and read it.

_Japanese Go Association_

_Best Player of the Year_

_Fujiwara Sai_

He found more certificates and trophies and these were dated later compared to those from the first box. Hikaru could feel his head spinning as he uncovered the evidence that points to the truth of Sai's identity. This was the part of Sai's life that was unknown to him – Sai as a professional go player. He slid onto the floor, feeling all of his strength suddenly evaporating. He bent his knees and rested his head trying to relieve the aching pain he felt inside. He thought it didn't matter whatever Sai's past was. But it was frustrating to realize that it did matter. Because now, he had the feeling that he never really knew Sai at all.

He shook his head, trying to shake the negative thoughts. He placed his hand on the floor to push himself up but his hand brushed a thick book with uneven pages. Curious, he reached for it and turned over the cover which was already yellowish with age and seemed to have been spotted by some wet marks.

_My Brother, the Go Genius!_

It was a scrapbook about Sai.

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**I know this is a very late update but honestly, this is a difficult chapter to write. I don't know... I seem couldn't get their emotions right. I actually get the feeling that Sai's story is a bit exaggerated. I don't know if that can happen in real life, although I'm aware that there are really intrigues in the sports world, though I'm not sure if it can result to such extremes. Anyway, let's just say it happened anyway. I remember one reviewer who mentioned that go isn't really a sport that could attract the attention of the yakuza. In a way, I agree with him. But for the sake of gambling, anything is possible. People lose money in fightcocks and even in such stupid things as turtle racing. lol.**_

_**Thank you so much to all readers and reviewers. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you after the long wait.**_

_**Thanks also to my beta Israfel for his hard work and for being patient with me. Hehe.**_

_**Belated Happy Birthday to my sister Pao! No, I don't update everytime there's a birthday in my family. It just so happened that there's a birthday every month from June to September. haha. **_

kitten-dreamer: sorry, but I'm not fond of Shounen-ai. Though I'm an avid romance reader (and writer for Gakuen Alice), I can't imagine writing a romance setting with Hikaru no Go, especially that what got me hooked into this anime/manga was really the story. This fic would remain general just like the other two of my HnG fics.

Clèm: I'm sorry if it reached a month... wince... as for the number of chapters, I really can't tell as of now.

R: Hehe... I think I should have added more clues to that part.

hagane-girl: I'm strong, aren't I? haha.

00asianwriter00: Hmm... I haven't read esama's Black and White, so I checked its summary. I don't watch Yugi-oh but since it's esama's, it must be good. But the story I've been thinking is quite different from it. Unfortunately, I really can't work on it right now... sigh...

Serilia: Well,you guessed most of it right... :)

Kuzosama, dragonzice, Pure Shikon, Vyrian D: Thanks for the greeting! :)

Frequency, like whoa, Blades of Silver: Belated Happy Birthday! (geez... I've responded after more than a month...)

* * *


	10. Chap 10 Reminiscing

**The Go Within **

**Chapter 10 – Reminiscing**

**

* * *

  
**

**.:go-go-go:.**

Carefully lifting the thick object, Hikaru laid the book on his lap running his fingertips over aged paper cover. _'Brother?'_ he thought as he read the cover. _'This means… this was made by Sai's older sister Megumi?'_

He quickly opened the first page and saw a written dedication.

_My sweet little Sai-chan!_

_Congratulations on winning your first title! I still can't believe that my little bro is now a go title holder. You finally reached your dream – to be a step closer to your idol Shusaku Honinbo and to reach the hand of god (whatever that means… haha). Anyway, you're Honinbo now and you're still eighteen! Even if I know nothing about go, I know that you'll eventually succeed. I've never seen anyone as go obsessed as you and I know it's what you do best. Know that grandpa and I are always here for you._

_Your beautiful sister,_

_Megumi _

Hikaru couldn't help but smile as he read Megumi's message. It was obvious that they were close to each other. Too bad she died at childbirth. Sai would often tell him stories about his grandfather, his sister Megumi, and his niece whom he had adopted as his daughter. Although he really couldn't get the whole story as to how his daughter Kaoru-chan died. It was a taboo topic and he knew that it was what had brought him into depression and loneliness. Aside from family matters, he also knew about Sai's obsession with go, he even knew that he had entered some tournaments. But he only assumed them to be amateur ones, he had never considered the possibility that he was a pro.

The photos inside were much older than the ones he had seen in the boxes. One of the photos showed Sai as a very young boy, about the age of 3 grinning widely in front of the camera clutching a foldable go board on his chest._ This was all grandpa's fault_, the note read. Hikaru slowly turned the pages one after another, the pictures flashed over Sai's early life.

**.:go-go-go:.**

* * *

The sun was setting and the room was already beginning to loom with darkness when the door opened slowly, the lights flicked a moment before it finally filled the room with brightness. Soft footsteps were heard walking towards the sleeping boy and the man then kneeled on one knee and raised his wrinkled hand to the boy's shoulder.

"Shindo-kun…"

The boy groaned in response. "Just five more minutes, Sai…" he mumbled from his awkward position.

The man let out a soft chuckle as he let the boy rest. He stood up and let his gaze roam around the room, towards the opened boxes and the scattered things on the floor. He let out a sad sigh as his gaze fell towards the sleeping boy, then he walked towards the boxes.

It was a few moments later when consciousness dawned back on Hikaru. He had a feeling that someone else was in the room that his eyes snapped open. _'Sai…!' _He quickly stood up, his eyes fell on the back of a familiar person standing beside one of the boxes, looking at a picture frame in his hand.

His shoulders fell as he realized that he was not the one he was looking for. He was not Sai. Sai was already dead and nothing could make him come back again.

"Ishida-san…"

The man turned his attention to him, a concerned smile on his face. "You finally woke up, Shindo-kun."

"What are you doing here?" Hikaru couldn't help but ask.

Ishida bent to return the frame into the box. "Actually, I think I'm the one who should ask what you are doing here. The last time we talked, I thought you said you're no longer interested with the rest of Fujiwara-san's belongings."

"Something happened," Hikaru muttered back in response. "I just felt the need to find out about something. But why are you here?" His voice then quivered a little when he realized something. "H-has the n-new owner already been decided?"

An understanding look crossed Ishida's face as he stared at the depressed expression on the boy's face. "The auction will be in a week. A lot of things happened and ever since the news leaked out about Fujiwara-san being a famous go player, there were a number of people, mostly go enthusiasts who had expressed interest over Fujiwara-san's remaining properties," he explained. "But being the one person closest to him, I thought you'd be more interested with his personal belongings. Even if some don't have any value, there are people who are interested to have them." He looked at the number of trophies and plaques at the floor. "The Go Institute had already expressed interest on all go-related awards that will be found in this house."

Hikaru turned his head away, his fist clenched. They only learn to appreciate a person when he's already dead.

Ishida walked towards him and placed his hand over the boy's shoulder. "Your father called. Your parents are in a panic right now looking for you."

"I told Sasuke that I'll be gone for a few days," Hikaru said, deliberately using his brother's real name this time. He didn't know why, but using the special nickname for his brother didn't sound right at the moment. His thoughts returned to his parents. "Besides, what do they care?"

A sigh escaped Ishida's lips. "Your parents care for you."

Anger exploded from Hikaru. "They weren't there for me! They left me! They only took me back because I had no one else to turn to!" Deep inside, he knew he had forgiven his parents. But his mind was currently on shambles and he just needed an outlet of his anger and frustration. He needed something or someone to put the blame on. He couldn't be angry at Sai. He was dead. Gone. And he had the good reason to be angry at his parents. And more at those who had slandered Sai's name. At the go professionals. At the go world.

"I think you have forgotten that it was you who chose to remain with your grandfather. It was you who chose to remain with Fujiwara-san," Ishida pointed out calmly. "Your parents tried to persuade you over the years, but you were the stubborn one. You had closed your door to them, convincing yourself that only your grandfather and Fujiwara-san cares for you." He saw the boy clenched his teeth and knew that in some way that Hikaru was realizing that fact as well. "Your father had the feeling you might be here so he called me," he continued.

"You didn't have to come all the way here," Hikaru muttered looking away, as he settled back and sat on the floor with his knees up, leaning against the bed.

"I was just a few towns away so I decided to check if you were here. Besides, there are some papers I need to process for the auction," he replied.

Silence ensued. Ishida lowered to his knees to gather the scattered items on the floor.

"You know what, I'm glad Fujiwara-san managed to spend his remaining life with you," Ishida whispered. "Thank you."

Hikaru kept silent for a moment. Then he turned his head to the old man, something bothering his mind. "Ishida-san… d-did you know? D-did you know that Sai was a professional go player?"

His response was short and simple.

"Yes."

"R-really…?" Hikaru kept his head down, his bangs covering the sullen expression on his face. "H-how about grandpa?"

"He knew. Right after he heard Fujiwara-san's full name."

Hikaru bit his lip as he pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms over them. "So I was the only one who didn't know anything…"

Silence followed after that comment.

"Would you have continued playing with him if you knew?" He finally broke the silence.

Hikaru hesitated at that. "I… I don't know," he replied honestly, closing his eyes.

Ishida continued his task of gathering the scattered items on the floor, his back to the young boy.

"It was more than 30 years ago…"

That caught Hikaru's attention as he turned his head towards the old man, but could only see his back.

"I was an insei back then…"

"An insei?" Hikaru asked, not familiar with the term.

"A student of go," Ishida explained. "The system hasn't really changed since then."

Taking a deep breath, he continued his story. "It took me three years before I could finally reach the first class. It was a good year for me and I finally reached the 16th rank in the first class. That meant that I could be part of the Young Lions Tournament," he smiled as he reminisced on those times. "In that tournament, it was the first time I've met Fujiwara-sensei."

"Sai?" Hikaru's eyes were wide.

Ishida nodded and smiled. "I used to call him sensei even if he was only four years older than me." He looked away again. "At seventeen, Fujiwara-sensei was already very famous that time, already a 7-dan. He passed the pro exams at twelve and he was rapidly going up the ranks. He had already won the Young Lions Tournament twice and was expected to win it also that year. My fellow inseis were dead scared of his reputation. If even high ranked pro players have difficulty winning against him, how much more us? I remembered all of them were praying that they wouldn't be paired with him on the first round."

He chuckled as he faced Hikaru. "Guess what? I was his first round opponent."

"You lost, didn't you?" Hikaru couldn't help but smile at that. Now that he knew the truth about Sai, he could give a more accurate assessment of his strength.

"It was expected." Ishida shrugged. "But before the game, I was so nervous, my mind was completely blank. Fujiwara-sensei must have sensed it."

_He clenched his fists on his lap, staring blankly at the lines of the board. This was it. It was his first time to reach the Young Lions Tournament but fate really hated him, matching him up against the previous year's champion. He could no longer prove to everyone that it was more than just luck that made him reach the 16__th__ rank this year. Of all people, why did he have to end up playing with the genius Fujiwara Sai?_

"_Hey…"_

_He looked up and met the bright lavender orbs of his opponent._

"_Are you nervous?"_

_He nodded his head stiffly._

"_You really don't have to," Fujiwara Sai smiled at him gently. He raised his hand and gestured towards the board. "This is a game and it's meant to be fun."_

"_But you're still going to crush me," the words were out before he could stop his mouth._

"_Maybe. But then maybe not," Fujiwara smiled knowingly. "The outcome of the game can only be determined at the end, not at the beginning. The game is full of twists and turns, and anything can happen. So, why don't you make it fun for both of us?"_

"I still got trashed," Ishida laughed. "But I think that was one of the best games I've ever played. Fujiwara-sensei was right, playing go itself was fun. Even though it was a tournament, we both played just for the sake of playing go, trying to outwit one another, trying to think past what the other was thinking. Of course, I was at a great disadvantage considering who my opponent was. But it was a memorable event for me, and at that instant, I became one of his avid supporters."

He picked up one of the plaques, a soft smile on his face. "The next year, he won the Honinbo title. As for me, after failing the pro exams twice, I decided to quit the inseis and proceed to focus on my studies. I decided to follow my father's footsteps – to become a lawyer. But I never really stopped playing go, I continued to play it occasionally. I still kept in touch with Fujiwara-san and he would play shidougo with me if he had time." A sad look suddenly crossed Ishida's face as he continued. "But tragedies struck the Fujiwara family one after another. Megumi-chan was left by her lover leaving her pregnant, causing Fujiwara-san's grandfather grief which led to an attack. Depressed, Megumi-chan blamed herself for their grandfather's death. She was emotionally and physically weak when she gave birth which caused her death. Fujiwara-san was left all alone with his baby niece. He struggled as he took care of the baby as well as continue to play his matches. He almost lost his title that time."

He turned to face Hikaru who was immersed into his story. "I couldn't help but be amused whenever I hear people wondering why Fujiwara-san only held to his Honinbo title during his early years, and always failed to win the other titles. The truth was that he knew he wouldn't be able to cope if he tried to go after the other titles. Fujiwara-san was only able to focus on his games after Kaoru was three years old. Takamura's challenge had nothing to do with it." He gave a snort at that. "It just so happened that Takamura held most of the titles at that time so he was the easier target."

Hikaru narrowed his eyes as he heard the familiar name. "Takamura… who is he to Sai?" he asked.

Ishida was quite surprised to hear the boy's biting tone. "Takamura Ryuuji. He was the holder of the Kisei title for eight years before Fujiwara-san won it over him, quite a sore loser, that guy. He had a grudge towards Fujiwara-san since he got humiliated during their shodan game." He waved off his hand to change the topic. He had never really liked Takamura-Kisei since he was a loyal fan of Fujiwara Honinbo.

"Many people admired Fujiwara-san back then, but when he started winning more and more titles, other pros began to feel threatened. Fujiwara-san was after the hand of God even when he was still a young kid, and that was his goal in life. After he was held back for some years while taking care of his niece, I think he went all out. He snatched go titles one after another and tried to held on to them." Ishida shook his head as he tried to recall Sai's amazing performance as a pro. "He was unbelievable. A true genius. It's like he's absorbing his opponents' strength and made it into his own. He just grew stronger and stronger in every game."

Ishida had stopped gathering the scattered items and was seated across from Hikaru, immersed in his recollections. "Before he reached thirty, almost all the older pros hated him, save for some younger ones who were still aiming to reach where he was. When that incident happened, many were shocked. And when he announced his retirement, many pros were relieved, their goal of gaining a title returning. The institute made some futile attempts to stop him, but Fujiwara-san knew that they were half-hearted attempts anyway. Though some may be concerned about his well-being, he knew they didn't want him back in the pro world."

He then paused and sighed. "He was so depressed that he didn't go out of his house for a month, his nurses changed almost every two days after they got tired of his tantrums. When I visited him, he looked pale and seemed to have aged several years. I suggested him to move on, look for a peaceful place where he could forget everything. He was rich after years of winning titles, so there was no problem buying this house as well as other things. I took care of finding a housekeeper for him, as well as a nurse to take care of his health. But he would end up firing them in a few days. He tried to forget about go, packed up all his stuff related to go and had them stocked inside the storeroom. But a month after, he gave up the idea and had his goban brought back from the storeroom, though he must have left everything else back in storage. For years, that go board kept him company, though his health began to deteriorate. That was when he asked me to make his last will, that everything he owned will be given to charity."

He turned a serious yet grateful look at the young boy. "He never thought he would meet you, that you would give him another chance to live and be happy."

Hikaru shook his head, his voice trembled a bit with emotion. "If what you told me is true, then you were closer to him than I ever was. You were there for him."

Ishida shook his head in response. "Didn't you notice that never once had I called him by his name? That was because I couldn't get past Fujiwara Sai, the genius go player, my idol. I looked up too much to him, so that I never really got the chance to be close to him personally. Unlike you…"

"Me?" Hikaru gave him a bewildered look.

Ishida smiled as he remembered the first time he met the young boy.

_It had been almost a year since he last visited him and he was worried. Before, Fujiwara-san would write to him regarding some of his complaints about his nurse or his helper, but that hadn't happen for months now. He knew he was okay because they just talked on the phone a month ago and Fujiwara-san kept telling him that he was okay. Reaching for the doorbell, he pressed the button, waiting for the housekeeper or the nurse to open the gate. When the gate opened, he blinked as he found himself facing an unfamiliar older man. _

"_Yes?"_

_He looked back at the gate number to confirm if he was at the right house before turning his attention back to the person who opened the gate._

"_Uhm… this is Fujiwara-san's residence, right?" he asked hesitantly._

"_Ah yes," the man replied. "He's inside with my grandson."_

"_Your grandson?"_

"_He's teaching him go," the man said proudly. "By the way, my name is Shindo Heihachi, from next door."_

"_Ishida Kawai, Fujiwara-san's…" friend, he wanted to add. "…lawyer," he introduced instead. He wondered why Fujiwara-san was teaching this man's grandson._

_They neared the terrace where a boy of about six years of age was sprawled on the floor, lying on his stomach, his face perched on up on both hands, his feet moving up and down while he listened to Fujiwara-san who was seated across him on the other side of the board._

"_I already know that," the boy pouted. "Explain to me the other one, the more difficult one."_

_Fujiwara-san chuckled. "Don't be impatient Hikaru. You have to learn the basics first. We should start with the less difficult tsumegos."_

"_Hikaru!" Heihachi rushed towards the boy. "What are you doing? Sit properly while Fujiwara-sensei is teaching you."_

_The boy stuck out his tongue. "Sai said it's okay. Right, Sai?"_

'_How rude,' he couldn't help but think. First the boy doesn't sit properly and now he doesn't use a respectful title for addressing Fujiwara-san._

"_It's okay Shindo-san," Fujiwara chuckled. "Just let him do as he wished." The boy had a smug look on his face as they continued to play._

_The next time he saw Shindo Hikaru was more than a year later. The previous times he visited, the boy was at school. But he was all Fujiwara talked about. So he thought that maybe the boy had matured a bit. _

_He was shocked when he saw the boy almost flipped the board, scattering the go stones everywhere._

"_Sai, you baka!" the boy yelled. "You're not going easy on me, are you?!"_

_Fujiwara-san had a guilty look on him, while trying to hide a grin. "I just got excited a bit because Hikaru is always at school playing soccer."_

"_I've had enough!" the boy shouted, pulling his own hair in irritation, then pointed his finger at his opponent. "You said you'll play shidougo, you old geezer!"_

"_Hikaruuu… come on. Another game pleaseeee," Fujiwara unbelievingly began to whine. "I promise it will be shidougo this time."_

_Then he turned his back on him and crossed his arms over his chest. "You pick up the stones and we'll play," the boy snapped back._

"_Eh? Eh?" Fujiwara-san head turned left and right looking helplessly at some of the stones that were beyond his reach._

'_That boy!' he couldn't help but grit his teeth. He couldn't believe that that boy would treat the famous go master just like that._

_He marched towards the terrace when he felt a hand clamped on his shoulder. _

"_Let them be."_

_He turned his head. "Shindo-san." But he couldn't fully contain his anger at what he had witnessed. "If you're trying to cover for him since he's your grandson, don't expect the same from me. Does that boy know who he is dealing with?!" he gritted back._

_Heihachi sighed. "Do you know how many times I've already scolded Hikaru regarding the way he treats Fujiwara-sensei?" he asked. Heihachi just shook his head in answer to his own question. "But it seems that the relationship between those two is just like that. Fujiwara-sensei adores Hikaru and so does Hikaru back to him. Weird as it may be, they truly understand each other." Heihachi as he turned his head, letting him follow his gaze. "Look, they're back to normal again."_

_He glanced back towards the terrace and saw Fujiwara-san and the boy back in front of the goban. The smiles were back on their faces as Fujiwara-san was pointing to something on the board, explaining something. Hikaru grinned as he placed a stone on the board while Fujiwara-san paused as if to contemplate on it._

_Heihachi tugged his arm to walk closer to the pair, and while nearing them, he could hear their conversation…_

"_Sai, do you think someday I can beat you?"_

_Fujiwara-san looked up and smiled brightly at him. "I believe you will."_

"_Yosh, then get ready Sai! That someday will be sooner than you think!"_

**.:go-go-go:.**

**

* * *

  
**

"_Hikaru is getting stronger and stronger."_

_His eyes snapped towards the man whom he had admired for so many year, the man whom he hadn't beaten in a single game ever. The true genius of go._

"_Considering that he has been playing with you all these years, I guess he has no choice but to improve," he responded wryly._

_Fujiwara chuckled. "Maybe. But I think I'm still strong enough to judge someone's capability." His expression suddenly saddened. "Though I think he would be stronger if he played with other people."_

_Curious, he asked. "How strong do you think he is now?"_

"_Strong enough to be a pro."_

_He almost choked at that announcement. "What?!"_

"_Honestly, I think he could already match a mid dan pro, maybe give trouble to a higher dan pro. He could easily defeat you already, Ishida-kun."_

"_Impossible…" he whispered. "It has only been…" But considering that Shindo Hikaru had been taught by Fujiwara Sai all these years, it's possible. But to receive such praise from the legendary Fujiwara Honinbo, is the boy that talented?_

_Fujiwara gave a sheepish chuckle. "Actually, I think he could have already passed the pro exams two years ago." His expression suddenly saddened, oblivious to the shocked expression of his companion. "Although his inexperience with other people's games could put him at a disadvantage."_

_He gave him a confused look. "Why won't you tell him the truth? Maybe the knowledge that you're a former pro would encourage him to enter the world of pros."_

"_No." Fujiwara's voice was soft but firm._

"_Why?" he couldn't help but ask._

_Fujiwara turned away, a faraway look on his face. "I don't want to force him to do anything. The choice is entirely his. If he wants soccer or go, it will truly depend on him. I'm already happy that he gave me a part of his time, for me to be able to play such wonderful games again."_

_Hearing that seemed ridiculous on his own point of you. "Is he really enough for you? To play, I mean? You could play with much more challenging opponents if you wanted to. You're still famous in the pro world. You're a legend."_

_Fujiwara shook his head. "I think teaching Hikaru is more fulfilling for me than all of my games combined. He gave me light and he made my existence worthwhile."_

"_Fujiwara-san…" He didn't know the proper response to that. True, the go world had been harsh but comparing a mere child against all those incredible games he had during his pro days was absurd.  
_

"_I don't know if I can still reach the hand of God. I don't know if it really exists. But all I know, I want my best game to be with Hikaru. And someday, I know we will play that game…" _

"Ishida-san! Ishida-san!"

"Huh?" He blinked as he focused his view on the scowling boy in front of him, shaking his shoulders.

"Geez! Don't scare me like that," Hikaru grumbled as he stood up. "I thought you had an attack or something when you suddenly gone silent and had this blank look on your face."

Ishida chuckled. "Sorry about that. I just got caught remembering some things." He also stood up and scanned his gaze over the room. "You can still take some of Fujiwara's things with you, you know."

The disdainful look returned to Hikaru's face as he followed Ishida's gaze. "I'll take the scrap book and Sai's picture frames. If I have my way, I won't hand anything to the Go Institute or to the other pros," he said coldly, then sighed in resignation. "But Sai deserves the recognition, and I think it would be best to hand his trophies and plaques over to the institute. If it's a way to put back Sai into his rightful place, then I really can't go against it. I want Sai to be remembered not only by the past go players, but by the future."

Ishida smiled and walked towards the boy. Though the boy was already as tall as him, he couldn't help but reach for his head and ruffle his hair.

"What the-! Ishida-san!" Hikaru cried as he pulled back from his reach.

"I was hoping for that answer boy," he chuckled. "You finally matured over the years I've known you. And you can call me Kawai."

"Kawai? No wonder I've never heard Sai referred you by your name. It sounds stupid," Hikaru snorted.

A tick formed on Ishida Kawai's forehead at the boy's response. _'He's still a brat!'_ But he'll let it go this time. The kid needed his help and it was not like he was new to his attitude. "By the way, want to go to Hiroshima with me?" he offered.

"Hiroshima?"

"To visit Honinbo Shusaku's shrine," Kawai replied. "Fujiwara-san used to visit that place whenever he gets depressed. He seemed to have stopped going there since he met you."

'_Shusaku huh?'_ Hikaru thought. A smile formed on his lips. After everything, he felt like he finally understood the real Sai.

He turned to Kawai.

"Okay, I'll come with you."

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10 up! I'm really sorry for this very late update. It's just that I've been so busy the past month and work is really eating most of my time. **_

_**There's not much fun or action in this chapter… but I hope it's still satisfactory. Honestly, I can't imagine Kawai as a lawyer. Hahaha. In my original draft, I used a different name. It's just that when I was so close to the end of this chapter, his role became close to Kawai's that I decided to use him instead. I already mentioned the name Ishida in the previous chapter so it's too late to change that. Anyway, hope it's still okay.**_

_**Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! And special thanks also to my beta Israfel for helping me out on this despite his busy schedule.**_

_**R: I can recommend some good Hikago stuffs but if you're looking for romantic ones… err… I don't read much romance themed Hikago fics… hehe… I think there are a few hikaru/akari fics but a lot of hikaru/akira ones… haha…**_

…_**: At least you got the part about Sai having a sister correct. Haha. I was actually surprised that many mentioned about a brother. I think it's already mentioned in one of the earlier chapters that he had a sister.**_

_**Anyway, thanks again! Ja!  
**_


	11. Chap 11 Hikaru's Resolve

**The Go Within**

**Chapter 11 - Hikaru's Resolve**

Hearing the door slide open, Akira's eyes automatically snapped towards the door hoping for a glimpse of the partially blonde boy who used to irritate the hell out of him, but now he wasn't quite sure how he felt. However he was faced with another disappointment when it turned out to be just one of his classmates. Five minutes before the bell rings and it was normally around this time that Shindo would arrive, that was if he had planned to go to school in the first place.

It had been five days since that confrontation and Akira was getting worried. Shindo had missed class for three days already, and although there was a note from Shindo's mother that he was sick, he had the feeling that he had not yet returned home since he left with only an abrupt note to his brother. And for the past three days, he had been on the edge of his seat every time the door opened when it was near homeroom period, anticipating his chance to talk to Shindo and at the same time feeling awkwardly nervous on how to deal with what had happened the previous weekend.

"Geez, where the hell is Shindo?" he heard Shindo's friend Taki muttered as he sat against Hoshino's desk. "Don't tell me he's still sick?"

Akira sighed as he rested his head against his palm. He knew they were also worried, the conversation they had yesterday proved that Shindo had always been open to his friends. And he would have been one, if he didn't misunderstand the friendship that was offered to him. And it would have cleared a lot of misunderstandings, he would have probably learned of Fujiwara Sai straight from Shindo himself.

"_Hey Akari-chan, you're neighbors with Hikaru. Have you heard anything from him?"_

_Akira paused in the middle of his reading and gave a discreet glance towards Fujisaki Akari who was currently looking up to Hoshino who had just spoken to her. Fujisaki shook her head sadly in response. "I tried asking his mother, but Shindo-san won't tell me anything. She just asked me to be patient with Hikaru for a bit. It seems he had some problems. But it's just so unlike him." _

"_Yeah, he usually calls when he can't go to school," Shindo's other friend Taki butted in._

_He didn't know what made him do it, but he stood up and approached them. "Ano…"_

_All three of them were quite surprised at his sudden interruption._

"_I heard you talking about Shindo. I'm also wondering what happened to him." He felt a little uncomfortable talking to them, but if he could get even a little bit of information on Shindo then he would try. _

"_Oh, must want to know because of the project, right?" Taki guessed. It was the only thing that seemed to have any connection between him and Shindo. "Geez, that Shindo. He must have left you alone to do everything."_

_Hoshino snorted. "Hikaru's not like you."_

"_Hey!"_

"_Stop it, will you?" Akari interjected, then turned to him. "I'm sorry Touya-san but we haven't heard anything about Hikaru either. If it's about the project, maybe we…"_

"_No, it's not about the project," he replied, trying to correct the presumption. "We managed to finish it early."_

"_Oh really?" Taki laughed. "So, did that idiot actually challenge you to a game of Go?"_

"_Huh?" _

_Hoshino chuckled at his expression. "He was bragging about how he was getting better at it, seems that he's winning some games lately."_

"_You… you guys know he plays?"_

_The three shared a look which made him feel like a total idiot. Nevertheless, Akari still answered his question. "Yeah, it's not like it's a secret after all. I remember he even mentioned it to you while in class. Besides, Hikaru's such a blabbermouth." She had stifle a laugh when she heard Taki snort at her comment. She smiled as she lifted her brows knowingly at Akira. "But I guess he's no match for you. You're a pro after all."_

"_He's even playing games with Yun-sensei after soccer practice," Hoshino added with a grin. "I thought he was doing it in preparation for his game against you. Well, too bad for him. I bet he was broken hearted when he lost. Hey, don't tell me that was the reason why he was absent?"_

_Akira fell deaf over their shared laughter as he digested another piece of information. 'He plays Go against Yun-sensei? But why didn't sensei mention anything to me?' He knew Yun-sensei since he started at Kaio Private Junior High, as he also used to be moderator of the Go club before he was transferred to the High School Division when the former Go club moderator resigned. During Junior High, the principal had introduced him to the Go teacher and had asked him if he could join the Go club in order to inspire the other club members. But he had refused as he was still focused on his training for the upcoming pro examinations. But nevertheless, he and Yun-sensei would sometimes pass by each other along the corridors and even converse at times, and he could have mentioned something about it. Considering Shindo's strength, there was no way that the Go club teacher wouldn't have noticed his ability. _

_He jolted up from his daze when a grinning Taki he slapped him at the back. "He was quite determined to make you sing the next time we go to Karaoke. He had already selected songs he thought would fit you and everything."_

_But Akira ignored their jokes and rather focused on gathering more information about Shindo. "H-has he told you who taught him to play Go?" he asked, trying to make the conversation as casual as possible._

"_Oh, you mean his grandfather?" Hoshino asked, quite wondering at the sudden curiosity Touya had over Hikaru._

"_Idiot, it was his friend," Taki corrected smugly. After the previous mishap he had with Hikaru, he made sure that he remembered that piece of information well. "You know, the old man who took care of him after his grandfather died. His name was Sai but he died before Shindo transferred here."_

_Hoshino and Akari just rolled their eyes at him, while Akira gaped at them._

"_He told you all that?" _

"_What's the big deal about it?" Taki couldn't help but say. "Shindo is really open about himself and doesn't seem to know how to keep things private."_

"_Why the sudden questions Touya-san?" Hoshino finally asked, feeling a little bothered over Touya's inquiries. "Does this have something to do with why Hikaru was absent since Monday?" _

He must have looked like a fool yesterday as he mumbled some lame excuses to Shindo's friends. Even now, Hoshino had given him a strange look when he managed to look at his direction. He turned his attention back to the front, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He just wondered what he would say to Shindo when he returned. Already, Ogata-san and the others were bugging him for any updates regarding Shindo, despite what his father said on giving Shindo some space. He knew they were really curious as to the blond banged boy's real abilities. Despite how embarrassing his game with Shindo was, he had no choice but to replay the game before them, and had to suffer the polite yet reprimanding comments his father and Ogata gave regarding underestimating an opponent.

But how the heck could he have known that Shindo could play that well? That he was the only disciple of the legendary Fujiwara Honinbo? As soon as the game had concluded, there was no longer a hint of doubt left as to who had taught him. That one game had clearly shown a significant trace of Fujiwara Sai's genius. But there was still one question that needs to be answered. Was he the one who played against Fujiwara Honinbo in that controversial game?

Even though he had to admit that Shindo's ability might already be above his, he still couldn't imagine the possibility that he was the one who played that brilliant game against Fujiwara Sai. He couldn't help it, but he was envious of him. They were of the same age, but he had dedicated almost his whole life to Go, while Shindo seemed to have experienced more in life aside from Go, but he still managed to attain a level of strength that most Go enthusiasts only dreamed to achieve. Was it only because he was taught by the legendary Honinbo? Or did he really have a god-given talent in Go?

When he noticed that the noise had level had gone down a bit and the other students began to return to their seats, he realized that the teacher had already entered the room. Shindo was absent again. He let out a sigh and tried to concentrate on whatever the teacher was announcing. In the middle of the homeroom discussion, the door was suddenly opened, its wooden frame slid forcefully causing a loud bang, followed by a curse of 'Shit! I'm late!' which caused heads to turn in the direction of the room's entrance, revealing a teenage boy with black hair and blond bangs trying to catch his breath.

Finally, noticing the whole class' attention on him and the large tick on his teacher's forehead, the boy just gave a mischievous grin and waved at his class advisor.

"Yo sensei! Long time no see!"

That was the cue, and the room was suddenly in a riot as laughter and greetings welcomed Shindo Hikaru from his absence. Many of the boys slapped him at the back as he passed, truly glad that he was back. The class seemed a bit quieter the previous days without Shindo to rile up the teachers.

"That's enough!"

Seeing that the teacher was getting irritated, the class began to tone down their noise.

"I'll let this go for now since you just recovered," the teacher said, his eyes looking sternly at Hikaru. "Now, go to your seat so we can continue." But, before he turned to write something on the board, his lips curved into a small smile. "By the way, welcome back, Shindo-kun."

From the corner of his eye, Akira saw Hikaru approaching his seat and he could hear the whispered teasing from his friends as he settled down.

"You really aimed for a grand entrance, huh?" The comment only earned a snort from Hikaru as he smacked his classmate on the head.

"So, how was the vacation?" Akari asked teasingly when Hikaru turned to her.

"Great," Hikaru muttered dryly. "It was loads of fun. You should have come too."

Those who had heard his response just laughed, thinking that it was a joke. But Akira knew that Hikaru had meant something else. He must have been watching his seatmate for a while when Hikaru finally noticed and turned his head to meet his stare.

"Yo Touya, long time no see," he greeted with a grin, and then faced forward leaving the Go pro gaping at him.

'_He isn't angry anymore?'_ Akira wondered, quietly observing his blond haired classmate. _'Or is he trying to act like nothing happened?'_

For the rest of the day, Hikaru acted like his normal self. He was surrounded by a lot of his friends during break time so Akira didn't get a chance to talk to him. It was around club period when Akira managed to catch him with only Hoshino by his side.

"Shindo, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Hikaru was about to pick his duffel bag when he heard Akira's voice. He looked up and saw his determined eyes looking at him. His lips lifted a bit as he pulled his bag unto his shoulder. "You have exactly 52 seconds left, you know," he replied good-naturedly. "If this is about the project, I thought we finished it already."

Akira let out a deep breath. "You know well it's not about the project," he said calmly. His gaze drifted to Hoshino who was quietly observing the two of them. He seemed to have understood that the matter seemed private, so he excused himself and told Hikaru that he will go ahead to the football field.

After Hoshino had closed the door leaving the two of them alone, Akira suddenly felt nervous at the silence. Hikaru wasn't even looking at him, instead, he had focused his attention outside the window where the football field was.

"I… I know I don't have the right to demand answers from you about what happened," Akira started, having no choice but to gaze at his back. "B-but I… w-we…"

"Geez Touya," Hikaru breathed out in mock exasperation. "If you're going to talk like that, we're not going to get anywhere. I will probably have to run ten laps around the field because of this." He then turned and faced him. "If you're worried about what happened during the weekend, just forget it. I've already given it some thought and I guess I overreacted." A sheepish grin appeared on his lips as he scratched his nape. "I probably caused a commotion at your house. Please tell your mom and dad that I'm truly sorry about that." Then his eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh! And tell Ashira-san or whatever that I'll repay him for that magazine I crumpled."

As if nothing was wrong, Hikaru just gave him a tap on the shoulder as he stepped past him. "I'll take my leave now. I'm really late, you know."

But a hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see Akira's eyes flashing angrily at him.

"So that's it? You're just going to act like nothing happened?"

Hikaru raised a brow at that, ignoring Akira's reaction. "Why? Is there something I can do about it?"

Akira was slightly perturbed by that question, but he knew that Hikaru was trying to sidetrack him from the real issue. "How about your Go?"

A sigh was heard from Hikaru. "What about it?"

There was that casual and nonchalant response again. Ogata had warned him that Hikaru might become difficult to handle, but they couldn't lose him. Akira knew that he needed to make Hikaru understand his worth. "Despite what happened, it's undeniable that you are Fujiwara Sai's disciple. I've played against you. I've seen your skill. You…"

"Forget it Touya, you've seen nothing." Hikaru cut him off.

"Shindo…" Akira tried again but only ended being cut off once more.

"The reason I played Go was because of Sai. Now that he's gone, there's no reason for me to play anymore."

That explanation didn't suit well with Akira. He felt his blood rise up in rage, as he couldn't accept Shindo's reason. "What the hell are you talking about? Don't lie to me! You love Go! You've been so enthusiastic about it before. You kept on challenging me despite the number of times I refused. You even stay up late at night just to watch online games!" He clenched his hand in anger. He couldn't believe that he would throw everything away just because Fujiwara Sai was gone. _'Was this really the guy who beat me? The guy the legendary Go master chose to pass his Go skills to?' _Despite all the talks of playing Go only for the sake of late Honinbo, he wouldn't have endured years of playing the game if he didn't feel even a slight appreciation of it. That strength that he showed during their game, he wouldn't have gotten that without practice, without tears, sweat and blood.

It was insulting on his part. He had started to learn Go at the age of two and had been serious about it since then. He would spend hours studying kifu, so much that even in his sleep he continued to replay games in his mind. He played against his father nearly everyday, and trained with other Go professionals. He had set his goal to become a professional Go player since the start. And he knew that what he is now, the strength that many had come to fear and admire, was the result of his hard work and dedication. Now this bastard had suddenly appeared, beaten the crap of him, then tells him that he no longer has any reason to play Go? He just couldn't accept it.

"Being curious about it is different from loving it. I've only played against Sai and my grandfather so I can't help but be curious on how I would fare against other people," Hikaru replied calmly. "Go is special to me because of Sai. Other than that, there's nothing else." He then continued forward towards the door, raising his arm in a slight wave before slid the door open and walked out.

Akira was left inside the room, his fists tightly clenched, his bangs covering his eyes. The room reverted back to silence that even his silent whisper can be slightly heard across the room.

"You coward…!"

**.:go go go:.**

As he entered the glass doors of the Go Institute, he could still feel the stares and the hushed whispers following him. He sighed as he ignored them and proceeded to walk towards the elevators. He had thought that the rumors would die down after a few days if he kept quiet, but it seemed that anything related to the late Honinbo was something that cannot be easily ignored. But being a title holder himself had its advantages as people were a bit intimidated to fully interrogate him of what he knew.

The younger pros immediately gave him space while waiting for the elevator doors to open. But it seemed that he was not lucky that day as he saw the person he didn't want to see slowly approaching him.

Dressed in a dark gray suit which was in contrast with his own white one, Takamura Hayate had an easy smile plastered on his face as he drew near.

"My, if it isn't Ogata-san," he drawled as he stood beside the Judan, his eyes straight on the doors of the elevators, waiting for it to open. "I've just heard some interesting things recently."

Ogata just kept quiet as he knew that the other pros behind them were eagerly eavesdropping at their conversation, hoping for a bit of information regarding the wide spread rumors. When the elevator opened, they all went in while the two pros entered last. While inside, Ogata continued to keep his cool and tried his best to ignore his annoying rival.

But even his silence couldn't stop Hayate from his monologue. "A student of Fujiwara Honinbo, eh? Isn't that great news? But I wonder why he hasn't shown up until now. Seems like there must be some people who are quite selfish to hide such a treasure from the world, huh?" Seeing that he wouldn't be getting anything from the poker faced pro, he just gave an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders. "Tsk tsk. What a waste. Maybe it's a rumor after all. Besides, if the student turned out to be anything less than brilliant, wouldn't that just bring shame to the legendary master?"

When the doors finally opened, Hayate stepped out then turned to Ogata. "You had better keep him hidden then." He let out a laugh as he walked away, waving a mock salute to Ogata. Ogata clenched his teeth in restrained fury as the other pros quickly scampered out of the elevator, eager to escape the intimidating title holder.

He was the last to leave and as he walked towards his destination, he heard his name being called from behind.

"Ogata-san…"

"Amano-san," Ogata nodded his head at the Weekly Go journalist.

"I'm really sorry about this," Amano said sincerely. "I should have given strict warning to Kenta to keep the information at bay."

Ogata sighed as he pushed his hands deeper into his pocket. "There's nothing more we can do. We're just lucky he didn't manage to leak out the kid's name." He let out a curse as he remembered Hayate's obvious taunting. "Damn, this is so troublesome."

**.:go go go:.**

"Kawai-san, why'd you bring me here?"

Really, Hikaru couldn't help wonder how this guy got to be a lawyer. In his opinion, the guy doesn't look trustworthy enough to handle law related affairs. He held back a snort as Kawai fixed his shades which had replaced his usual eyeglasses.

"Heh, what's with the sunglass? Are you trying to look cool or something?"

Kawai's eyes narrowed at him. "Shut up brat! It's my free time today, so I want to be in my best casual wear."

Hikaru rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, now you look like a taxi driver rather than a lawyer. If you're trying to impress someone, believe me, that get up won't work."

"Why you…!"

"Ouch!" Hikaru yelped out when Kawai lunged and put him in a headlock, ruffling his hair furiously. "Hey, let go of my head! You're choking me!"

"What's the commotion here?" A stout man opened the door and stared at the troublemakers outside of his store. His eyes widened when he recognized one of them. "Oh, it's you Kawai-san," he said with a big smile, then turned to the younger of the two. "And who's our young friend here?"

"Some brat," Kawai replied as he let go of Hikaru and clasped the man's hand in greeting.

"Hey, I'm not a brat!" Hikaru protested, then bowed to the man. "Sorry for that, I'm Shindo Hikaru."

A snort escaped from Kawai's lips. "At least sensei taught you some manners, boy," he said which earned a glare from teen. He then threw an arm over the stout man. "And this here is the owner of this Go salon, the Heart of Stone." He then turned his gaze to the blond haired boy. "This brat is Shindo. He came with me to learn about Go."

"Oh… your student?" the owner chuckled then led them inside. "Welcome Shindo-kun"

As soon as they entered the salon, several players seemed to recognize Kawai and Hikaru was surprised that he seemed pretty popular in this place.

"Ishida-san, it's been a while since you came here. The others are eager to have a match against you."

"I'll have the next game with you."

"Hey, you lost to me so I should go against him."

"So Kawai-san's back huh?"

Hikaru heard a middle-aged woman by the counter talked to the owner. He then saw Kawai fixing his collar like he was trying to make himself look presentable. Hikaru grinned wickedly when he saw this, then leaned towards Kawai and whispered. "Hey, you're interested in that hag over there?"

Kawai's eyes widened as he followed where his eyes was pointing, the nerve on his forehead bulged as he reached out to grab Hikaru. "You damn brat! That's the owner's wife!"

"Oh Ishida-san, it's been a while."

That stopped him from the headlock attempt when a pretty young woman carrying drinks approached them.

"Ah, Nonoko-chan!" Kawai's eyes practically sparkled as he was reduced into a simpering idiot by the pretty girl's presence.

"Sheesh, that perverted geezer," Hikaru muttered.

"Kawai-san is our strongest player here in the salon," the owner said as he stood beside him. They watched the girl leave and Kawai settled in his seat as he and his opponent started to play. The owner then turned to the boy who had come in with Kawai. "So, do you also play Go? Or are you just starting to learn?"

"Yeah, I know how to play," Hikaru said breezily as his eyes followed the flow of the game in front of him. "But I guess there are still a lot of things that I need to learn about this game."

It was interesting that after he learned the truth about Sai, he seemed to have gained more confidence in his own skills. He seemed to have gained a wider understanding of the games he watched. Before he would always wonder why some players didn't respond the same way as he thought they would have or should, and he would often look down at his own analysis, immediately concluding that the other player probably had thought of a much better alternative. But the knowledge that Sai was actually a professional Go player brought a different meaning to the skills he had acquired. He finally learned to accurately judge the level of skill of his opponent.

Despite his slightly brutish manner, Hikaru was thankful to Kawai. The travel to Hiroshima had been an eventful one and during the few days they had stayed there, he managed to learn a lot about Sai and the world he had been a part of.

"_Slow down, you goddamn lawyer! If you want to die, leave me out of it!"_

_But Kawai only laughed as he sped the rental car towards Innoshima. Hikaru cursed loudly as the car rounded a curve, his grip on the handle tightened as he felt his insides churn like he was riding a rollercoaster. Actually, he would have preferred to ride a rollercoaster as at least he was sure he would get off it alive, a large improvement compared to the reckless driving of this idiotic lawyer who looked like a gangster._

_But in all fairness, the guy was accommodating; Hikaru was toured around all the Shusaku sites they could find. Kawai told him that Sai would find peace whenever he visited Shusaku's grave and it was one of the things that kept him from insanity. It seemed that Honinbo Shusaku had been Sai's idol and he had studied the master's kifu intensely which was the reason why Sai's playing style so closely resembled the ancient and legendary master. But Sai's style had mixed both old and modern joseki, making him almost invincible in front of the goban._

_They spent two days in the area, but before going home, Kawai decided to stop at some Go salon to play while he continued to look around. All alone, his thoughts drifted back to his memories of Sai. He wondered if it really was for the better that Sai didn't tell him anything about his real identity. And now that all was revealed, what should he do? Should he just move on and forget about what happened to Sai? He had already accepted Sai's death, but knowing that there were people who thought badly of him, even to the point of trying to discredit his name was something he couldn't accept. But can he do something about it? He's just some ordinary boy who managed to learn and love Go because of his friend. He didn't want to get involved, but he didn't want to let things remain as they were either._

_He sighed. As they toured the sites, he bought some books about Shusaku and even found a collection of Sai's kifu. Going through their games, he finally got to see why both were considered as legendary masters. But he had focused more on gathering information about Sai. Kawai told him about the professional world, about how one had to take the pro exams, then their rankings per dan level, and the current titles they battle for and covet. The kifu in particular were a revelation, and though he had beaten Sai, deep down he knew he still had a long way to go before he could surpass him or even say that he was on the same level as him. No wonder those who couldn't beat him resorted to using underhanded methods to reestablish their pride. And somewhere in his heart, he had this deep desire to beat back those who were slandering Sai using their own game - Go._

_But that was a naïve thought. He had even mentioned it to Kawai in passing and only earned a raised brow in response. He suddenly realized that he had wandered off while in his thoughts and decided to follow Kawai inside, only to find him deep in an argument with a bulky man with cropped black hair._

"_You cheater! What the hell do you mean 50,000?!"_

"_That was the agreement. When I raised my hand, I meant it as 50 grand," the man just shrugged as he lit up his cigarette._

"_Kawai-san!" Hikaru called but the man seemed not to have heard him as he continued to shout at his opponent._

"_I'm a lawyer, you fool. I could put you in jail for this!"_

"_On what grounds?" the man said casually. "Cheating? That's hard to prove considering you're in my territory and our skills are too wide apart to even make that claim valid."_

"_Geez, that geezer!" Hikaru muttered as he watched Kawai mutter another string of curses. He then heard a movement beside him and saw a man watching the scene with amusement._

"_That guy couldn't have won against Shuhei no matter what way he used," he gloated. "He's the top amateur in Japan, Hiroshima's pride."_

"_Top amateur?" Since he couldn't remember all that Kawai had discussed to him about the Go world, just the mention of 'top' made him look at Shuhei with awe. And at the moment, he was getting so embarrassed at the scene that was taking place that he wasn't able to stop his own loud mouth._

"_Kawai-san, you idiot! Be a lawyer and negotiate something, and stop acting like some hot headed taxi driver!"_

_That seemed to have silenced Kawai as he turned to stare at the blond banged boy. A grin crossed his face and pointed at Hikaru as he faced Shuhei. "You play that kid and if you lose, you'll forget that damned bet."_

_Shuhei's brows raised at that. "And if I win?"_

"_I'll pay you double the amount you asked for," Kawai said smugly as he pulled out something from his jacket which looked like a checkbook._

"_You idiot! Why would I play for you?!" Hikaru yelled at him, but Kawai just dragged him away from their audience's hearing._

"_Hey," he whispered. "That guy said something about Fujiwara Sai. He said he was a coward."_

_Hikaru froze. And Kawai pushed his advantage further. "Didn't you say that you want to beat anyone who says something against Fujiwara-sensei at their own game. Why don't you start here?"_

_Gritting his teeth, Hikaru turned back and walked towards the man, his bangs covered his eyes and his fists were clenched. "Did you really say that Fujiwara Sai was a coward?"_

"_He was."_

_That did it. Without giving it further thought, Hikaru settled himself in front of the goban, his body trembling with rage. "Nigiri," he whispered coldly._

_It was a such a brutal and mismatched game that even Kawai had to gape in shock as he watched the teen play like he wasn't thinking at all. His hand swept the black stone into the surface of the board as soon as his opponent made a move. His green eyes darkened with the fierce determination to crush and humiliate his opponent. It was too cruel to even count the gap and it was obvious who the winner was. Even the few people who had watched the game couldn't say anything as they stared in disbelief at the boy who had defeated their top player. Shuhei barely managed to say that he conceded the game and Hikaru immediately stood up._

"_Kawai-san, let's go."_

"_Sh-shindo-kun…" Kawai stuttered. It was the first time he had seen the boy play seriously and he had never expected this strength. 'Sensei, what did you teach him?'_

"_He was a coward."_

_Hikaru and Kawai both turned to look at Shuhei who was still staring blankly at the board._

"_Because if he wasn't, he wouldn't have stopped playing. Despite what happened to him, despite his disability, he should have continued playing. Staring at Shusaku's grave for hours was pathetic, when he could do so much more with his talents."_

_Kawai's eyes widened at what he said. "Y-you…"_

"_I've seen you with him a few times in the Shusaku shrine," Shuhei said, then his voice lowered. "He had always been my idol. That was why it was pathetic to see him like that."_

_Unable to hear any more, Hikaru dashed out of the salon, ignoring Kawai's shout and the commotion inside and continued to run away. His vision was clouded with unshed tears as he wandered aimlessly around Takehara._

_Kawai was sick with worry when it was late and raining hard but the boy still hadn't returned to the hotel yet. He was about to ask for help from the authorities when the door suddenly opened revealing Hikaru drenched from head to toe._

"_Shindo!" Kawai ran towards him to calm him but he was met by a pair of determined green eyes._

"_I've made up my mind…"_

Yes, he had decided. His hand curled into a fist as his resolve deepened. He would become stronger.

After a while, Kawai's opponent bowed his head in defeat. Cheers were heard as many congratulated him, though they had already expected it since he was considered to be the best player in the salon. Turning his head, Kawai pushed his glasses up, his lips tugged into a grin as looked towards Hikaru. "So what can you say about the game, Shindo-kun?"

Hikaru's green eyes stared at the board for a moment, then lifted to meet his. 'Now that I saw your game, I finally realized why you lost to that Shuhei guy, you actually kind of suck at the end game."

That aroused gasps of disbelief from the people inside the salon. But before they could react further, Kawai's boisterous laughter erupted inside the room.

"Well said. So you actually discovered my weakness with just one game, huh?" Kawai chuckled, then turned to their audience. "Hey, get me three more boards and I need three more guys to play against this kid."

"W-what?!" Hikaru stuttered in surprise, his eyes wide as he stared at the lawyer.

"You said you wanted to be stronger right? And you want know more about the Go world? Then, let's start here," Kawai said as he nudged Hikaru towards the seat across the goban.

Hikaru just stared at him dumfounded, then his lips lifted into a huge grin. He nodded and settled into the opposing seat. The people inside the salon were hesitant at first and had to wonder if he was really that strong considering that he had to play against four players simultaneously, including their best, Ishida Kawai. But they trusted Kawai, so they picked three other players and arranged the boards around him.

Yes, he would become stronger. He would make sure that he had enough knowledge about Go and its world before he faced them - the pros who had made Sai suffer. Sai would probably tell him to move on, to pursue what he really wanted, and not just to do something because it was for his sake. But Sai was his friend, the most important person in the whole world to him. And he would do anything for him. He didn't want to think that his relationship with Sai was something like a student-teacher or master-disciple relationship because he knew it was more than that, but Touya had made a point, that whatever happened, he was the only disciple Fujiwara Honinbo had left. It might be too early to say that he would beat all those pros in their own game, but he had decided that he would. Because he was the only one who could bring glory back to Sai's name. Besides, after knowing about Sai's involvement in the Go world, there was one thing that he began to realize. Playing Go made him feel closer to Sai.

Because he could see Sai's Go reflected in his own Go.

**.:to be continued:.**

* * *

**_I've noticed that I've been apologizing a lot every time due to my late updates. But I think this time is truly something to apologize for. I haven't updated for more than half a year! So dear readers, again, I'm so sorry for the very, very, very late update. There are lots of reasons for it but I don't want to bore you people with my problems... hehe._**

**_Just to let you know, I'm still alive and kicking, so you need not worry about me giving this fic up. Though I may not be able to update it as frequently as I used to, rest assured I haven't abandoned this. And if I do, I would announce it._**

**_Anyway, thanks to all your reviews and for all readers who are still patiently waiting for the continuation of this fic. Hope you like this chapter. _**

**_Thanks Israfel for helping me on this! Sorry if I had to rush you but you know the reason, right? hehe. But I'm so glad you managed to finish it on time._**

**_Coree, Pao, I finally updated this! Sorry pao, you can no longer sneak into my laptop to get a preview of my chapters. haha._**

**_Thanks so much for Israfel for helping me on this. Sorry if I had to rush you but you know the reason, right? hehe. And as for the owner's name, haha, sorry for letting you go through much trouble, only to come up with nothing._**

**_I'll try to answer some questions in the reviews for the previous chapter later as I need to get ready for work._**

**_Also, does anyone has a copy of the complete list of characters in Hikaru no Go? I used to have a collection of the character list, events, timeline, etc, but my external drive got broken so lost everything. I checked the site where I got it but it's under renovation and the other sites don't have that info in them.. So if anyone has a copy, especially if it's from Crystal Moon, or if anyone knows of a better site, please please PM or email me. _**

**_Again, thanks everyone!_**


	12. Chap 12 Persistence and Impertinence

**The Go Within**

_By: Esa MaRie_

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Persistence and Impertinence**

Save for the usual chatters and game discussions, it was rather unusual to hear loud noises inside a go salon, but after two weeks of regularly seeing the partially blond boy, the patrons had gotten used to the loud and carefree atmosphere that seemed to follow him whenever he was around. Yes, it wasn't unusual at all, the bickering and mild exchange of insults and challenges were heard as they saw Ishida Kawai tackled the young boy into another one of his famous headlocks and furiously ruffling the poor boy's hair into a wild mess.

"Stop that, you stupid Kawai! You know it's true, you totally suck!" the boy yelled as he tried to pull the elder's arm from his neck.

"Just because you're a bit stronger than me doesn't give you the right to act almighty, you brat!" the hot-blooded lawyer countered.

"A bit? Hah! You still lose at a seven-stone handicap. Admit it, loser!"

"You brat…!"

The other customers just shook their heads as Shindo Hikaru let out another string of curses directed at the older man. The boy amused and fascinated them. They accepted him with mild curiosity the first time Kawai introduced him two weeks ago, thinking that he was just some ordinary kid that Kawai had picked up to be his student. There was no question as to Kawai reigning as the top player in that salon, and he would usually brag about having been an insei before. So it came as a surprise when Kawai suddenly asked for four simultaneous games to be played against the boy, himself included as one of the opponents. They thought it was some sort of a joke or that it was some kind of an exhibition, like a tsumego or something. But it turned out to be real games, where unexpectedly, all four opponents lost.

It was so sudden that their faces had been plastered with surprise and disbelief, and to their amusement which they had noted much later, so did the boy. His green eyes were wide as he looked at the results of his games, a nostalgic feeling filled him that he had to use his sleeves to wipe the moisture from his eyes. When he finally raised his eyes to them, they were bright with happiness, and his lips were lifted into a wide grin. And the next words that were heard from him were…

"See, I told you. You suck."

It was blunt and awfully disrespectful, but they didn't expect Kawai to retaliate by grabbing his neck into a headlock, calling the boy a brat and lecturing him about respect. It was a rather entertaining scene that laughter had erupted inside the salon. But after two weeks of repeatedly seeing the same scene, the patrons had learned to ignore the two whenever they were in their usual bonding time.

But what they couldn't ignore was the boy's strength. Though it wasn't a popular sport, it wasn't unusual to see children and teens with overwhelming talent in go. In fact, many of the go professionals entered the pro world in their teens. But most of them had either undergone training, had been a student of another go professional, had entered into different amateur tournaments, or had been an insei. But it seemed Shindo Hikaru was neither of these and it was difficult to believe that he managed to reach into such a level without even a bit of knowledge of the go world. They could still remember Kawai getting annoyed when they were discussing about the Gosei finals, and Hikaru suddenly interrupted asking what Gosei was. When one of the new customers lost to him asked if he was an insei, he blinked in confusion, then said his name was Shindo Hikaru, not _Insei_. Except for the game itself, his knowledge of the go world was close to none. None of the first-timers had believed that he was that good especially hearing some of his conversations with the other customers. It was like he was asking for information about the go world, and the owner or Kawai would have to explain some terms which would seem too difficult for him to handle. One had to play against him or even just see his match to actually believe that his strength was terrifyingly real.

**.: go go go :.**

After entertaining yet another set of simultaneous games, Hikaru stretched out and excused himself from the group of old geezers who were trying to set the next games with him. He was tired both physically and mentally as he had just come from soccer practice before he stopped by the salon. It had been his routine for the past two weeks - soccer practice, then play go. Though it was tiring trying to joggle two sports at the same time, he still find it fulfilling as he learned more about the world Sai had been obsessed about.

As days went by, he was beginning to understand more and more about the professional world of go. Though it was quite hard to keep that fascination at bay as he could always feel a set of eyes watching him, trying to figure him out. Touya had tried to confront him a couple more times but he just ignored his classmate's demands. He could feel Touya's silent anger but he had made his decision. He would make him wait. He would make the pro world wait until he was ready to face them. Although if he had to be honest with himself, he was still a bit doubtful that playing in the internet and the simultaneous games in the salon were enough for his training. The more he played, the more he craved for stronger opponents. Unfortunately, due to school, his time in playing in the internet was limited.

It had been almost two months since he started playing internet go during the evenings and during his spare time. His first games were quite awkward since he was still getting used to playing on a computer rather than on the goban, and oftentimes he would make some mistakes in placing the stones. Luckily, he managed to survive in those games and except for his initial loss to _Ichiryu_, he had remained undefeated ever since. Nowadays, he was beginning to get more challenges that he didn't have time to scan for available players as a challenge would pop up the minute he logged into the server.

He sighed and rubbed his neck and walked towards the counter where Nonoko was preparing drinks for some of the customers.

"Tired Shindo-kun?" Nonoko smiled at him as she saw him approach.

"Yeah, a bit," Hikaru sighed as he propped himself on one of the high stools, thanking Nonoko as she handed him his favorite soda. He was still in deep thought about his current situation. It seemed that Touya and his group managed to keep his involvement with Sai a secret. He had done some search in the internet and the speculations about Fujiwara Sai's disciple still continued to circulate in the forums, though nothing had been printed on paper. Even inside the salon, the topic would come about once in a while. And he was glad that none of the patrons seemed to have any hostile feelings against the late Honinbo. Rather, most of them idolized him and followed his success. Although he had heard some wry comments from those who often bet on matches that Fujiwara Honinbo was not a good betting ground, since the odds of him winning was almost a definite thing. His last game, the Kisei match, had caused uproar and the few people who had placed bets against him had accumulated fortunes.

He wondered what he could possibly prove with everything that he was doing right now. Sai may have taught him how to play go, and he had played hundreds of games with him, but he knew he could never be his substitute. Yes, he had won a game once but it proved nothing. Only that he managed to outwit Sai for the first time after hundreds of attempts. He looked at his hand, wondering if he could ever achieve the same level of understanding as Sai when it comes to go. Sai was the most dedicated person he knew. He would see Sai seated in front of the goban for hours, recreating and studying games, even up to the point of missing meals. A bemused smile crossed his face as he remembered what a brat he used to be, oftentimes rudely interrupting Sai's game by slamming his palm on the surface of the goban, thereby breaking the stones' positions. Sai would whine, and he would give a sarcastic retort that Sai could recreate it anyway.

That time, he thought the ability of recreating games was just common for someone who knew how to play. He was only learning the basics back then, yet he could already recreate a game played by Sai and his grandfather. Well, his grandfather had a little bit of difficulty but the proud elder man would always blame it on his old age. It was only when he started hanging out with the old geezers in the salon that he learned that it wasn't the case. Recreating games was a skill produced by those who have a great understanding of go, thereby allowing them to commit into memory the positions of the stones and the theory as how the moves had been played. How he managed to do so even before he had really understood the game had remained a mystery even to Sai.

The chimes rang as the door of the salon slide open, bringing Hikaru's thoughts back to reality. It seemed like a new group had entered as he didn't hear greetings from the other patrons, only the welcoming voice of the owner.

"Oji-chan, we want to play your three strongest players."

Hikaru almost choked on his drink. He could feel eyes darting on his back, and he was getting an uneasy feeling that the voice was very, very familiar.

"Waya, can you ask more politely?" he heard an exasperated voice coming from one of visitors.

Slightly turning his head to get a glimpse of the newcomers' faces, Hikaru's green eyes widened as their identities finally dawned on him.

_'Oh crap!'_ he thought as he snapped his head away, hiding his face from them. He may have wanted to play strong opponents, but he wasn't ready to face the pros yet!

"Heh, so you want to have a game against our best players?"

A groan escaped Hikaru as he recognized the cocky voice. Why can't that damn Kawai simply shut his mouth? Placing his hand on the counter, he pushed himself to stand. He had a pretty good idea how all this would end up if he continued to stay here and do nothing to stop the loud mouthed lawyer.

"I'll play one of you, of course," Kawai proudly pointed at himself. "I used to be an insei during my younger days, you know."

Resting his forehead against his palm, Hikaru couldn't help but curse silently. No surprise there. It was so like Kawai to boast about his meager accomplishment before.

"If Ishida-san's playing, then I'll play too," one of the old men volunteered.

"Hah, you lost to me a while ago, so it's best if I play," another patron countered.

There were some disagreements as to who would play, but everyone knew they were only fighting for the last spot as the two other players had already been decided.

"Well of course, our best player would be... yeeaaouuuuccch!" Kawai screamed holding his injured foot as another face popped out.

"Him. He is the best player here," Hikaru interrupted pointing at the older man, slightly panting as he had dashed from his seat to stop Kawai from whatever he was about to say.

"What the heck Shindo?" Kawai yelled at him.

"You idiot, these guys are pros!" Hikaru shouted back, before Kawai or anyone else could slip.

Kawai blinked. "Pro?" He turned to look at the group more closely. The two taller guys looked quite familiar and he thought he might have probably seen them in some issues of the Go weekly but the three shorter ones were not. One of the kids with squinty eyes raised up his hand and said, "Uhm... the three of us are still insei."

"You..." the tallest one started to say as he recognized Hikaru, but the brown-haired one was faster.

"Ah, you're Touya's classmate!"

Every head turned towards Hikaru, their expressions covered with disbelief.

"You know Touya Akira?"

Hikaru didn't know who specifically asked that first as they seemed to be throwing random questions at him all at the same time, but he definitely heard Kawai as he grabbed his shoulder and yelled loudly at his ear. "You know Touya 4dan and you never told me!"

"You never asked!" Hikaru retorted, pushing his face away from him. "Now shut the hell up and just continue your match."

But the older man was not ready to drop the issue. "What? But you... ugh!" His complaints only earned him a mild blow to the stomach from Hikaru's elbow while the boy plastered a cheerful grin as he greeted the three, diverting their attention from the troublesome lawyer.

"You're Shindo-kun, aren't you?" Isumi asked with mild curiosity.

Waya, on the other hand, grinned and raised his hand in greeting. "Yo. What are you doing here? Learning more tricks to annoy Touya?" That earned him a warning look from Isumi, but seeing the half-blonde boy again made Waya remember how satisfyingly funny it was to see the ever stoic Touya Akira lose his composure.

"Seeing my face is enough to annoy that guy," Hikaru retorted with a laugh. "And the reason I'm here is because I work here part time," he lied smoothly, earning looks of disbelief from customers. But he ignored them and looked straight at the owner. "Right, owner-san?"

A brief look of surprise and confusion crossed the owner's face, which had gone unnoticed by the newcomers. He didn't know what Shindo was thinking but he must have his own reasons, so he played along. "Uh... yes, he helps out during his free time." It was practically the truth. The boy's presence had attracted more customers into his salon. The other patrons shared confused looks, then shrugged, not really understanding what the boy was up to, but were willing to play along with his pretense.

"What the heck are - ouch!"

"I'm not going to play against them!" Hikaru leaned and hissed silently into his ear as he prolonged stepping on the older man's foot. "Yeah, and this gangster looking guy here is teaching me how to play go, right Kawai-san?"

Kawai grunted as he finally understood the boy's intentions knowing that Hikaru didn't want to attract attention from other pros this early. Besides, this would be a good way to get back at the arrogant and impertinent kid. He grabbed the boy's neck despite his protests and messed up his hair again. "Yeah, this brat here is useless at go that he begged me to teach him."

"That hurt, you bastard!" Hikaru yelled as he pulled away from him.

"Is that how you treat your sensei, brat?"

"Oh," Isumi managed to say as he looked at the two people glaring at each other. "Although, wouldn't it be better for you to have Touya Akira teach you? You're friends, aren't you?"

Hikaru shrugged in response. At least, prior to that incident, Touya would never consider playing against him. He practically had to drag him to the goban to force him to play. "By the way," Hikaru turned at Isumi and Waya with a confused look. "If you two are pros, then this guy wouldn't be much of a challenge," he said, pointing his thumb at Kawai.

"Why you...!"

"Actually, we're just here to accompany Fuku and his friends," Isumi explained, effectively stopping Kawai from grappling the bleach haired boy. "The pro exams are near and we thought that Oka and Shuji here would gain more experience in dealing with older opponents."

Things had gotten smoothly after the explanation and the patrons were more than willing to accept the challenge. Hikaru silently observed as they started to discuss the rules of the games. It was a team match composed of the three players per team. It actually quite surprised him that go can be played as a team. While he was relieved that he managed to get out of that sticky situation, he was also quite interested on how this team match would proceed. He watched as the customers began to gather around the players, curious as to how their fellow patrons would fare against the inseis. Kawai-san was playing against the one called Fuku who seemed to have a habit of playing really fast, like he wasn't thinking at all. The games started with just one stone handicap which later increased to two after all three patrons lost their games.

Hikaru was pulling the strap of his duffel bag when he felt a presence from behind him. He knew that the second round of that team match had just concluded and they were discussing the games, so didn't expect to see the taller guy named Isumi approaching him.

"You came from soccer practice?" Isumi asked, eyeing the duffel bag which was partially open and he could see a glimpse of a black and white ball.

"Yeah," Hikaru replied and grinned, "We have practice even during the weekends. There is tournament coming, so the captain is really trying to work us to death." He then glanced back at the table where Waya was playing a customer. "I never thought pros like you would still go around challenging players in go salons."

The pro just chuckled at his comment. "We used to go around and challenge one go salon to another during our insei days. It's one way for us to train for the pro exams. Nowadays, we don't usually visit go salons that much. We have study groups where we can play games with other pros. But from time to time, it's still a good experience playing in go salons. We just have to give handicaps to our opponents. But our purpose in coming here is to help Fuku and his friends."

Hikaru's eyes lingered on the kids. "So they're taking the pro exams?"

Isumi nodded solemnly, his gaze on the taller of the three inseis. "Though Fuku may seem like a carefree guy, this will be his fourth attempt to take the exams. Most of our friends had already passed the exams and we feel that we need to boost him up. As for Shouji-kun and Oka-chan, this will be their first time to take part in the exams."

When Isumi turned to face his companion, he couldn't help but notice the serious and thoughtful look on the boy's face as he stared at the inseis who seemed to be having fun as they discussed the games with their opponents. "Is being a pro fun?" the bleached haired boy finally broke his silence.

"Fun?" Isumi smiled bemusedly. "Well, it actually depends on how you view go in the first place. For us, go itself is fun just like maybe how soccer is to you. But being a pro is more than just playing go against another pro. It involves dedication and hard work."

He glanced again at his friends and noted that they seemed to be ending their games. "It seems like their games are ending. Why don't you come with us?" Isumi invited. "My treat. Do you know a good restaurant near here?"

A look of surprise crossed the Hikaru's face, not expecting the invitation. But the thought of food was a temptation he couldn't refuse. He grinned and replied back. "There's a really good ramen store just a few blocks from here."

"Hey," Waya interrupted from behind, obviously he had heard the conversation. "I saw a sushi shop just around the corner."

"What?" Hikaru exclaimed loudly. "Ramen is better!"

"Shut up, you freeloader."

"You're a freeloader yourself!"

**.: go go go :.**

"I thought you don't like sushi?" Waya glared, seeing that the blonde-banged boy seemed to be eating more sushi than him.

Since the rotating sushi bar was nearer, the four of them, including Fuku, had decided to go there instead. Shouji and Oka went ahead since they had to go home early.

"Who said I don't like it?" Hikaru grumbled as he snatched the toro from Waya's grasp. "I prefer ramen though."

"Stop stealing my food!" Waya yelled as he fought to snatch the approaching unagi.

"Waya, you're so loud," Fuku complained.

"Shut up, shorty!"

"By the way Waya, did you buy something from the stand?" Isumi asked.

"Ah, I just saw a copy of the Weekly Go so I just grabbed a copy," Waya held up rolled paper for them to see. "Saeki-san told me this morning that there's another article about that game. They're comparing the style with some of the previous games of Fujiwara Honinbo."

Hikaru felt himself froze at the mention of his friend's name. All his senses seemed to have alerted and he unconsciously drew himself closer to them to hear what they were discussing.

"Uhm..." he mumbled, causing the three to look at his direction. He cleared his throat and asked. "This Fujiwara Honinbo... what do you think of him?" He just couldn't help but ask. He wanted to know other people's opinion about Sai.

"You know about Fujiwara Honinbo?" Fuku asked.

"N-not really. I just heard about him in passing from Touya," he lied.

"He's the greatest go player ever," Waya exclaimed while popping another sushi into his mouth.

Hikaru looked at him in surprise. He was expecting things but a praise was not one of them.

Isumi laughed. "Waya is a great fan of his. But he was indeed the best go player of his time. Actually, there was a debate on whether he or Shusaku Honinbo should be considered as the greatest go player in history. Not to mention the fact that their style of playing was almost the same."

"I thought he was hated by the pros," Hikaru mumbled.

"The more popular you are, the more criticisms you get," Isumi answered with a shrug. "I guess that was what happened to Fujiwara Honinbo. Regardless of any sport, those who held the top spot are always being envied and it's not unusual for issues to occur. It's just a shame that he chose to give up and shut himself from the world."

Hikaru remained silent, slowly digesting what Isumi was saying. He didn't want to admit it but Isumi was right. Sai was not to blame for the misfortunes that had happened to him, but he could have chosen to continue playing if he wanted. Despite the tragedies, there were things that he could still do. Even if they stopped him from playing in the title matches, he could still play with other people if he wanted to. Even if it was only for a short time, his own experience in the go salon taught him that people play because they love the game. The patrons took beatings from him but they continue to challenge him.

"Hah," Waya laughed as he waved his hand out. "The geezers during his time just couldn't accept their defeat against him."

Hikaru listened silently as the three friends continued their discussion about Fujiwara Sai. Somehow, it was a bit enlightening and a relief to know that his impression about the professional world had been biased and unfair. He couldn't help but wince, remembering that spectacle he made at Touya's house. He had to admit he had gotten overly emotional because everything had been so sudden and he was caught off guard. Although, that short flashback reminded him with irritation on how that glasses wearing blonde freak had trampled upon his privacy and had dug on his past.

After they got out of the store, Hikaru, Waya, and Fuku were happily rubbing their full stomachs while Isumi looked like his energy got drained out. Obviously, he had not expected the three to have such big appetites and that they would take full advantage of his generosity.

"Isumi-san, thanks for the food," Hikaru grinned at the older pro as they were about to part. He also turned to face the other two. Unlike most of the go professionals he had already met, particularly Touya, these guys were fun to be with. Even for a short while, he had quite enjoyed his time with them. "I guess I have to go now. I had learned quite a bit from you three."

Waya's brows rose at the boy's words. He rubbed his head with a confused look on his face. "I honestly don't know what you learned from us." After all, as far as he knew, all they talked about was all about the current happenings in the go world. For someone like Shindo Hikaru, who wasn't seriously involved in go, he doubted that their discussion would even be of interest to him.

But the half blonde just let out a mysterious smile, and then to their surprise, he bowed his head at them. "Thank you for everything. You just don't know how grateful I am." Before they could say anything regarding his confusing words, the boy had sprinted away and disappeared among the crowd.

Isumi, Waya, and Fuku were left staring at each other in bewilderment.

"Was he that hungry?" Waya wondered out loud.

**.: go go go :.**

"Part-time job, yeah right. That's the lamest excuse you could give, Hikaru."

Hikaru groaned with resignation. He already knew it would be harder to convince Hoshino compared to Taki. He had been pretty busy the past weeks that he was not able to spend more time with his friends. He sighed and turned to look at his friend. "Is it really unbelievable?"

Hoshino just gave him an amused smirk. "No, it's actually believable. Maybe I'm just more observant compared to Taki and Akari-chan. But these past four months we've been friends; it's easy to note that you're not exactly the type who would find work for a living."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"In short, you're a lazy ass."

"Hey…!"

"You only strive for something you enjoy," Hoshino interrupted before Hikaru could give a retort. "The only times I see you really focusing yourself is when you're playing soccer or if it is anything related to go," Hoshino told him. "We're on the same soccer club so I'm aware of your activities, so I can safely assume that this other thing you've been busy with for the past weeks was related to go. Am I right?"

His question was initially met by silence and Hoshino could see different expressions playing on his friend's face, from feigned innocence to denial. It didn't take long before he heard a resigned sigh escape from his half-blonde friend

"Damn. Why do you have to be so damned smart?" Hikaru grumbled, scratching his nape. Hoshino could be quite a busybody when he wanted to be. And he should have known that he couldn't fool his friend that easily. Hoshino wasn't one of the top students in their class for nothing.

The said friend just laughed and they continued to talk about some random things as they walked when Hoshino's voice turned be bit serious. "Won't you tell me what the deal is between you and Touya?"

When Hikaru didn't respond, Hoshino sighed and gave his friend a slight punch on the shoulder. "I'm just intrigued that he's taking interest in you."

That seemed to have brought Hikaru back to his normal self and he replied with a snort. "A lot of people take interest in me."

"Yeah, but I doubt Touya takes interest in just anyone." Hoshino turned and looked at his friend in the eye. "Are you really that good in go?"

Before he could answer, they heard a voice calling after them and turned to see Taki running after them.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that you don't have practice today?" he whined.

"It was announced, idiot. You were not listening when sensei said that there's going to be a meeting among the teachers today," Hikaru told him.

"So, you two are free," Taki grinned. "Why don't we go to the arcade? It's been a while since we got together like this. You two are always busy these days, especially you Shindo. You should just quit that part time job of yours."

That earned a meaningful glance from Hoshino but Hikaru chose to ignore it.

Indeed, it had been quite some time since the three of them had gone out together for fun. His time had been occupied by the project, the netgo, soccer practice, and the games in the Heart of Stone. It wouldn't take too much to spend some time for relaxation and just enjoy the day with his friends.

They continued to joke around each other as they walked out of the school gates. Taki was telling about some embarrassing moment of one of their classmates during the last time they went to karaoke without Hikaru when he spotted a gleaming red sports car parked near the sidewalk as if waiting for someone.

"Wow, wow!" Taki exclaimed, pulling Hikaru's sleeves in his enthusiasm. "That's exactly the car I want to have. Damn, when I have money someday, I'm going to buy one."

"Yeah, I guess you could afford it by then," Hoshino rolled his eyes. "After around five years, there will be a lot of used cars of the same model."

Taki ignored him, his eyes still on the car. "Do you think it's owned by one of the seniors?"

"Stop drooling," Hikaru laughed at his friend, playfully shoving him away in mock disgust. "Maybe some lucky chick just got herself a rich boyfriend with a nice car."

They were a few meters from the sports car when the door at the driver's seat opened and a man in crisp white suit stepped out.

"Shindo Hikaru."

Hikaru literally stiffened at the sound of that familiar voice. It was only a few days ago when he was reminded of the geezer and now that same irritating man was walking towards him.

Taki and Hoshino also stopped in surprise and glanced from their friend to the stranger nearing them.

"I guess you're the lucky chick, Hikaru," Taki tried to joke, but he was getting worried at the hateful glare his friend seemed to be giving the stranger.

"What do you want?" Hikaru asked coldly, not bothering the fact that he was being extremely rude. He may have changed his bad impression on go professionals, but this one guy still irritated the hell out of him. He would have preferred to ignore the pro but the damned man was blocking their way.

"I need to talk to you Shindo-kun."

The blonde-banged boy looked absolutely pissed. "Look, what the hell do you want more? You have gotten all the details you wanted." Hikaru snapped in exasperation. "My friends and I have somewhere to go so fuck off."

Ogata Seiji raised his brow at the teen's crude language. Having been a pro for several years now and with his reputation as a formidable player, he was used to being respected and even feared by those younger than him. He wasn't one to back down on an insult but he knew he had to keep his patience in dealing with the boy. When the boy tried to get past him, he caught his arm to stop him.

"What I want to discuss with you wouldn't take much of your time," Seiji said calmly. "If you are in a hurry, we can talk it right here, right now. I wouldn't mind at all."

The boy glared at him furiously but Seiji held his stance. Touya Meijin and his son might be willing to wait for the boy's fate to course through but he didn't have that much patience. After all, the boy was stubborn as a bull and that stubbornness might lead to him to walk away from his own fate.

"H-hikaru..." Hoshino looked confused as well as worried for his friend.

"Fine, I'll go with you," Hikaru finally decided as he pulled his arm back. "But if I'm going to get myself interrogated, I'd rather have it on my own terms." He was able to handle the same situation with Touya, maybe it wouldn't be impossible to convince this guy that he had no intention of playing go after what he learned about Sai. He then turned to his friends. "Hey, sorry about this but how about we get together tomorrow instead?"

"Hikaru," Hoshino tried to stop him. "I don't know what's going on but are you sure you want to go with him?"

"Yeah, he looks suspicious, you know," Taki added, glancing nervously at the intimidating older man.

Hikaru just gave them a reassuring smile and added jokingly. "Then, you better memorize his face. In case I'll turn up missing tomorrow."

"Hikaru…!"

Seiji just raised his brows at the obvious taunting. Instead of losing his composure over the brat's stubbornness, he took a card from his pocket and gave it to one of the worried friends. "Memorizing my face wouldn't help that much."

Hoshino and Taki were left staring in awe at the card. They could still hear Hikaru arguing that he wouldn't ride in the man's car and that he will be the one to choose the place where they could talk. When they looked up, the two had already crossed the street, the man following Hikaru calmly as he lead them to their destination. They looked down again at the card.

_Ogata Seiji_

_Go Professional_

The two friends looked at each other in wonder. What would a go professional need from their friend?

**.: go go go :.**

Seiji didn't bother to argue when the boy insisted that he choose the place they could talk. The important thing was that he was given a chance to get Shindo to listen to him. He couldn't help but wonder where Shindo was taking him but he kept his silence and continued to follow him until they reached an establishment.

Shindo paused and turned to him expectantly. "You're going to pay, right?"

That was when Seiji noticed that the boy had brought him to a ramen store._ 'Like I have any choice,'_ he thought in resignation. He nodded to give his consent and the boy grinned in satisfaction and dashed inside. "Ossan, two ramen please!" he heard the kid shout his order. He shook his head in bemusement. He didn't have to tell the brat that he was actually planning to bring him to a more expensive restaurant if he didn't stubbornly refuse to get into his car.

"So, you just wanted to eat for free?" Seiji said as he settled on his seat. "After all the stress you gave Akira-kun, I didn't know that the condition for you to talk to us is this cheap."

"Shut up," Hikaru grumbled as he placed his bag at his side. "You're just more troublesome than Touya. Besides, I'm hungry and my allowance is running low so I'll have to take advantage of your gracious offer," he answered back sarcastically.

"So now that we're here…"

"Wait!" Hikaru stretched out his palm to stop him from talking. "Let me eat first. Arguing with you a while ago had drained my energy." He ignored the giant tick on the pro's forehead and was silently enjoying the older man's annoyance. He was going to enjoy his ramen first before facing what the pro had to say.

**.: go go go :.**

"Bwah! That was great!" Hikaru exclaimed as he rubbed his full stomach.

"Glad you enjoyed it," Seiji commented with sarcasm. Ramen practically wasn't one of his favorite foods. And he had to wait until the brat managed to finish two large bowls while he wasn't even able to finish half of his own.

"So what are you planning now, Shindo-kun?" Seeing that the boy was finished, there was no reason to delay their conversation anymore.

"What do you mean by that?" Hikaru asked, although he already had an idea on what this was all about. He couldn't help but wonder if all go players were all this unreasonably persistent.

"You obviously have the skills if you managed to beat Akira-kun. So what do you plan to do with it? Your mentor is known to be one of the greatest go players of all time and I bet he managed to drill some of his skills to you."

He didn't have to be surprised by what the pro was saying. "Look," Hikaru said with an impatient voice. "I already told Touya this and I'm going to repeat this to you. I played go for Sai, nothing else. Now that Sai is gone, there's no reason for me to play go."

"Do you honestly think that I will believe that?" the pro challenged with strange calmness.

"Believe what you must but that's what I had decided."

Seiji laughed, then pulled out some papers from his coat and placed it in front on him. The boy had a confused look on his face as he stared at the papers on the table.

"Do you think I wouldn't know that for the past weeks, you have been visiting a go salon and beating all its customers?" Seiji asked and seeing the frozen expression on the boy's face, he knew he had hit his mark. "And do you think I wouldn't know that you have been playing internet go every night under the name of 'Kira'?"

"Who the heck is Kira?" Hikaru tried to ask with a blank face.

Seiji raised his brow at his pathetic attempt to lie. "There's no use denying it Shindo. Kira's game showed a distinct resemblance to Fujiwara Sai, so much like your own style when you played against Akira."

Hikaru's expression darkened at this and seeing as he couldn't seem to get out from this, he seethed. "Are you a damned stalker?"

"No," Seiji simply said as he leaned back, a slow smirk playing on his lips. "Just merely curious. I already had your background investigated before, it should have given you an idea I could still have people follow your back. If you were planning to discreetly train yourself in order to face the go world, then you're not doing a good job of it."

"And what made you think I'm training myself?" Hikaru retorted.

"Stop your delusions Shindo." Seiji's voice hardened as his looks turned serious. "If you want to face the go world, then you need our help."

Deep inside, he knew that the pro was right but the stubborn part of him just refused to listen. "I don't need your help," Hikaru countered stubbornly.

"Yes, you do. You're desperate enough to play with mediocre players. Do you think you will grow stronger by that?"

Of course Hikaru knew that he needed to play against stronger opponents. But he just couldn't give this damn stalker satisfaction by agreeing. "So are you trying to tell me that you're actually a good guy? And why are you doing this? Why would you help me?"

"I'm not helping you. I'm doing this for myself."

Hikaru looked at him in bewilderment. "Huh?"

The pro looked like he was already at the end of the rope of his patience that he took a cigarette from his breast pocket and lit it up. He puffed a smoke to calm himself and gave the boy a serious look. "I don't want to pass up the opportunity of playing against a strong opponent. And I want to see how Fujiwara Honinbo's only disciple would fare against the go world."

"Geez!" Hikaru sighed with feigned exasperation and lifted his hand to rub his nape. He was annoyed with the guy but with those last words, he felt like he was given a huge compliment. After years of experiencing losses with Sai, it was a bit flattering to be acknowledged and be seen as a strong opponent, especially coming from a pro and a title-holder himself.

_'We haven't played yet so it's just an empty compliment,'_ Hikaru thought wryly. As he turned his attention back to the pro, he knew that the previous irritation he felt was beginning to dissipitate, but still couldn't help a sarcastic retort. "Really, you don't have to worry about me. I'm beginning to earn some reputation in netgo so it won't take long before strong challengers will start noticing me."

"Then play with me!"

Hikaru was surprised at his sudden challenge, his eyes wide as his mind started to process the man's words. Then, he noticed some of customers looking at them curiously that he wrinkled his nose. "Coming from a geezer like you, that sounded pretty disgusting, you know. You aren't a pedophile, are you?"

"Stop twisting my words," Seiji shot back, a bit embarrassed that his outburst had gained them some audience. Well, he couldn't help but feel irritated when the boy was talking about strong challengers when he was there just right in front of him.

"Okay, you already know I play in the internet as Kira. So why didn't you challenge me?" Hikaru couldn't help but ask.

"I did. But you ignored my request. Thrice."

Hikaru looked at him in surprise. "I did?"

"You chose to play some random players instead. None of them managed to give you any challenge at, you completely trashed them." Seiji threw him an accusing look. "That's why I'm telling you it's not enough. If you just want to become a pro, you could already pass the pro exams with your current skill. But if you want to show yourself up to the go world as Fujiwara Honinbo's disciple, you need more strength and experience. There are still several older pros who would find it pleasurable to trample down whatever legacy Fujiwara Honinbo had left."

The boy was silent for quite a while, his eyes trailing on the papers on the table, some of them were copies of his games in the netgo. Now that he was no longer thinking in anger, the idea of playing against the blond pro was beginning to gain weight on him. It also made him want to rethink his plans and wondered if everything he was doing was all for the best. "Do you think Sai would have wanted me to play go?" he asked softly, more to his own self rather than the person in front of him.

But nevertheless, Seiji answered him. "I don't know Fujiwara Sai personally so that's for you to know and to decide."

Hikaru snorted but a small smile escaped his lips. "I'll think about it." It was the best response he could think for now. He thanked Ogata for the meal and the pro didn't stop him as he stood up and gathered his things. He had taken a few steps when he heard the blond pro speak again.

"It's Seiji."

"What?" Hikaru turned back in confusion.

"My nick in netgo," Seiji answered. "Remember it well. And the next time I send you a challenge, I would greatly appreciate it if you don't ignore it."

"Hah," Hikaru snorted with a smug look. "Now that you told me that, then you can expect that your challenge will never be accepted." He turned towards the door, raising his arm in farewell.

"Liar," Seiji smirked with satisfaction as he let out another smoke, his thoughts trailed back to the impertinent kid. "You're desperate for strong opponents. And you're already too curious on how you'll fare against me."

**.: to be continued :.**

* * *

_**Honestly, after going into hiatus for years, I find it so hard to update my Hikaru no Go fics. I need to refresh my memory on several go jargons as well as the different events in the canon. I know that I have disappointed a lot of readers but I don't want to make any more promises regarding the updates, though I'll try my best to make some time to write. I guess I'm really getting old. lol. My writing now is a bit rusty and I haven't had this chapter betaed so I apologize for any mistakes and awkward sentences.**_

_**Thank you to all the old and new readers who had continued to be patient in waiting for my updates. Nothing much really happened here, just a lot of dialogues but I've been stuck on this chapter for ages, so I need to get it out. Anyway, hope it's still an enjoyable read.**_


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